Does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the night changes?
by elle-mae-xx
Summary: CO-WRITTEN WITH FAEMELODY. Rachel and Eddie are already married when Rachel is offered a headship to take over from Jack Rimmer. They decide as a couple to try and keep their marriage a secret so she is able to establish herself in her new role. Surely nothing can go wrong with that, especially not at Waterloo Road, right?


Rachel sat at their kitchen table, legs shaking with anticipation for her husband walking through the door. She was nervous, dreading having to present him with the news. But she had hardly been given the time to turn the job down before she had received congratulations from the LEA and was handed a starting time for the following morning. The door shut and Rachel took a deep breath, not knowing how Eddie would react to the news that she had been given the job that he had been calling his since the day Jack Rimmer quit. She didn't even work at the school, but she had been Deputy at her previous school for almost 9 years with the Head showing no signs of slowing down or retiring. Beverly was a strong woman and still in her early 50s, having made her job her entire life and dedicated each moment to her school and it's pupils. Rachel admired her in every way, but had also spent the last 12 months itching for something else.. something more. She'd only been putting feelers our for Headship for a month at best, and now had an offer on her doorstep. Only, it was possibly too close to home.

"You're home early." Eddie commented, immediately following the lights into the kitchen and dropping to kiss his wife sweetly on the lips. He lingered a bit longer than necessary, having spent the day wrapped up in his own thoughts about her. His favourite part of his day was always returning home to her, no matter how much he loved his job.

Rachel melted into the kiss before pulling back and smiling, taking hold of his hand and gesturing him to take a seat next to him. Eddie immediately felt nervous, and took his place beside her with a furrow to his brow.

Rachel thought about how to tell him, what to say and how to word it. Should she go into detail about their plans to start a family and how better off they'd be with this added income? However, one look at his worried expression had her blurting out the news so quickly, she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't catch it. "Waterloo Road want me as their head. Starting tomorrow." There, she'd said it. Simple and to the point. Now, she'd wait for his reaction and deal with whatever he threw at her. He had every right to he upset, angry even. She just didn't want this to effect their relationship.

Eddie, for his part, stared at her for a long while.

"Say something," she almost begged.

"What have you told them?" he found his voice, but didn't give anything away with his blank expression.

"I haven't told them anything," she murmured. "They've assumed I'll take it, but I haven't signed anything…"

"You should tell them yes."

Her head snapped up, gaping at him in shock. "Wha-? Eddie, that job's yours!"

"Obviously not." He smiled humourfully. "Did you really think I'd be angry, Rach?"

"It had crossed my mind, yes!"

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he stood, pulling her to her feet and into his arms where he pressed a kiss to her head. "You deserve this, love. I'm happy for you. Take the job."

"Are you sure?" she leant back to touch his cheek gently. "If I turn it down, maybe you…?"

"Will have to watch a complete stranger walk into it instead? If they'd have wanted me, they'd have given it to me. I'd much rather you took it," he assured her. Her gaze searched his, saw the honesty there and a slow smile spread across her face.

"I'm going to be headteacher," she said quietly, and he beamed at her.

"Yes, you are. My wonderful wife!" he scooped her off of her feet and spun her round, causing her to emit squeals of laughter that were only muffled when she kissed him fiercely.

"Your wonderful wife who will be your boss," she reminded him breathlessly once she was back on her feet.

"Aren't you anyway?" he grinned cheekily, only to yelp when she poked him hard in the ribs. "Ow!"

Rachel let the laugher die down before taking hold of Eddie's hand again once they had sat back down. "Are you sure about this? We'll be working together, and living together." She'd always been one to hide her personal life, to shy away from any attention that didn't concern her job and the students. Rachel wasn't even one to socialise with colleagues outside of work, choosing instead to keep her private life entirely that.

Eddie ran his spare hand through Rachel's hair, offering her a small smile at her obvious worries. "We can get through anything Rach, you know that." Their marriage had not been easy, their entire relationship even rockier. They had met just after the breakdown of Eddie's first marriage, when he was at his lowest. He was grieving for his son, his baby Steven who he still thought about every day. His coping mechanism became alcohol, something to numb the pain and forget the heartache. He wasn't a fit father for Michael, and his ex-wife knew that. She only had her son's interests at heart, knowing that Eddie wasn't prepared to deal with his emotions yet. He had met Rachel on a training course, and luck would have it that Rachel was also in need of an outlet that one specific night. Although it was out of character, she agreed to join a large group at the pub in order to let her hair down slightly and allow herself a glass of wine on a school night. It just so happens that the two ended up sitting together, and Rachel immediately noticed Eddie's mood change when on his second beer. It wasn't until later that night when Rachel was practically carrying Eddie to his hotel room that he began to cry about his children. She listened sympathetically as she tucked him into bed, making sure he had water and a bucket at hand for it it was needed. She was about to leave when Eddie grabbed onto her hand and told her how beautiful she was. Rachel brushed off the comment entirely, choosing to play it off as a drunken mistake. However, the next morning, Eddie apologised for his actions. They sat down in the breakfast area of the hotel and Eddie made sure Rachel knew how sorry and embarrassed he was that she had to see him in that state. She said she understood, of course, but it wasn't until Eddie said he hadn't lied about how gorgeous he found her that she finally perked up.

They swapped numbers and their first date was arranged for the next week, a day trip out that involved absolutely no alcohol. That night was a wake up call for Eddie.. and the rest is history.

"I know we can Eddie, but this is going to be different." Rachel worried aloud once more, wondering if she was about to make the biggest mistake of not only her career, but her life too.

"If you're that worried darling, let's not tell anyone. Use your maiden name, keep work and home life separate. All they know is I'm married to a Rachel, it could work."

She gaped at him. "What?"

"It could work," he insisted. She stared at him for a few seconds longer, before she managed to clamp her mouth closed.

"I'm not ashamed to be your wife," she said quietly. He smiled at her, reaching out to cup her cheek gently.

"I know that. I also know how important this is to you."

She chewed her lip, an uncertain look on her face. "I don't want to lie," she decided. "If someone asks outright, I won't lie to them but maybe we could… keep it quiet?"

"Whatever you need, love," he smiled

"Just you," she answered instantly, and he beamed as she turned her head to drop a kiss onto his palm. "I love you."

She rose from her chair to drop into his lap and kiss him deeply, winding her arms around his neck and delighting in the way he instantly embraced her to him, pulling her as close as possible. "This will all be fine, Rachel," he assured her, murmuring against her lips.

She hoped he was right.

It was a bit of a whirlwind, heading to the LEA to sign her new contract in the morning, still slightly uncomfortable in the knowledge that in slightly different circumstances, this should have been her husband's job. But he left a note behind when he slipped out to work that morning, signed with a kiss, assuring her of his confidence in her and that had been the boost she needed to walk into the office and sign her name. It was all rushed, she noted, those in charge eager to have someone with her reputation in charge of Waterloo Road. The information she'd been given was brief at best, and she was suddenly grateful that she would have Eddie, because without his knowledge she'd have been lost.

And then she was being led into the school the corridors quiet during lesson time (she knew they wouldn't stay that way for long) and she found herself making small talk while the knot in her stomach told her that this may have been a very big mistake.

The knot eased when Eddie walked in. Rhea greeted him, made a few pointed comments about how she hoped their relationship wouldn't affect their work and then they were alone.

"You ready for this?" he grinned at her.

"No!" she exclaimed, and frowned when he laughed. "I'm not being dramatic, Eddie! Look at the pack they gave me."

He frowned when she handed it over, flicking through it with a wrinkled nose. "This is rubbish! It barely tells you the bare basics… they were expecting you to take over a school with only this?"

She shrugged, already cross. "No wonder they were so eager to get me instated, if this is what they were giving any other candidates."

He sighed. "You'd better sit down," he suggested. "This could take a while…"

Next on the agenda was an introduction to the staff, something Rachel was entirely dreading. She'd heard all about the staff from Eddie, so her judgement wasn't exactly fair. She knew they would also all be expecting Eddie as their head, so an entire new face would probably not go down well. Eddie offered a warm smile as they walked out of the office, running his hand down her back discreetly to offer as much support as possible. They walked down the corridor towards the staff room, looking ever the power couple as they approached. Rachel caught sight of their reflection in the window, marvelling at what a pair they made. Suddenly, she wasn't half as nervous as she was before. She could face anything with Eddie by her side, be it in personal or now professional circumstances.

"Here goes nothing." Rachel stopped just before entering, hand on the door to prepare herself for the most terrifying introduction she would ever make. The nerves she felt have only ever been matched once before, and that was when she was introduced to Eddie's son. She already knew she was in deep with her feelings when she met Michael, so she desperately wanted the little boy to like her. Luckily, they hit it off straight away and had only grown closer since that day.

"I'm so proud of you, my amazing wife." Eddie traced his hand down her arm before taking hold of the door himself and opening it, taking away the task for Rachel and making her face the situation head on. She could do this, he had every faith in her. Yesterday, he had no doubt that he would be running the school yet now she was in the role, he knew it was made for her. The good she would do for the school was incomparable to anything that he could have even imagined, and he couldn't wait to be by her side throughout it all.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Can I have your attention please?" Rachel walked in, head held high as her voice echoed around the room. Eddie stood back, watching on silently and proudly as she took centre stage in front of her new staff team. "My name's Rachel Mason. I'm the new head teacher at Waterloo Road." Her maiden name felt foreign on her tongue, but she knew it was necessary. Although they would not lie about their relationship if asked, they both knew it would take a while for it to be questioned. However, if she arrived whilst using the same last name as the deputy, it was bound to raise eyebrows much earlier than they both wanted. It was time for Rachel to start somewhere new, to develop her own identity and relationships with both the staff and students. A shocked silence fell around the room, before the staff gathered themselves. A few people headed towards Rachel, and Tom chose that moment to make a beeline for Eddie, walking straight over as Rachel introduced herself to teacher's individually. "I thought the job was yours mate?" He asked, wanting to know what had changed overnight. Only yesterday, Eddie was telling the staff room that he assumed himself to be acting head for at least the rest of the term. And now, he smiled as the new head gave her welcome speech.

"Apparently there was only one person for the job. And I don't think they were wrong." He watched on as Rachel laughed with Matt, and she briefly met his eyes. She offered him a smile and he grinned back at her, hoping she knew how proud he was.

Rachel was sat at her new desk, listening to the dwindling sounds of the kids as they filtered out home, one finger tracing the grooves of the desk as she tried to decide what to do. Mika was safely under the care of Tom, who had returned with Chlo in tow and to her knowledge, everyone had got off home without a hitch.

Which was more than she could say for how the day had gone, she thought ruefully. Despite their outwardly polite appearance, she knew the staff resented having her parachuted in to take over and they definitely didn't agree with her reforms for the school. Which included Eddie, judging by the number of sotto comments and pointed questions.

The man in question entered with a barely cursory knock, making her smile slightly. "Risk assessment forms," he held them up. "Meant to sign them before you got here but time got away from me." She took the with a weak smile as he threw himself into a chair. "Great first day," he joked.

She hummed slightly, playing with the corner of the paper. "Eddie, I'm going to tell the LEA that I can't do this," she told him quietly. "Hopefully the paperwork won't have gone through yet so I don't have to formally resign. But this isn't going to work."

He bolted upright. "What? Why? Don't tell me we've scared you off?"

"Of course not." She sat back, looked at him tiredly. "Darling, I haven't even been here a full day and we've already argued twice, and that's not counting the minor squabbles. I'm not willing to put our marriage at risk for a job."

"Look, we knew there were going to be some teething pains-," he began, and she scoffed slightly.

"Teething pains? Eddie, we're at completely opposite ends of a spectrum on what's best for these kids! That's more than just teething pains."

"But we already knew that," he pointed out. "And you have to admit you did come in a bit heavy handed..."

"And you have to admit that I may actually know what I'm doing!" she snapped, then instantly groaned. "We're doing it again! Eddie, this isn't going to work."

He was silent for a long moment. "You're right." she made a gesture with her hand that was clearly intended to say 'told you so'. "Not about this working," he said hastily. "About knowing what you're doing."

"What?" she looked at him in exasperation, not following.

"I've been treating you like everyone else- as if you're some LEA fixer brought in to make the school look good on paper then disappear before the end of the year."

"Oh, thanks," she muttered.

"I know that's not you," he said softly. "I know you have a plan. I'm sorry."

She looked at him with a small frown. "Eddie, you know me. You know that I am all for education and qualifications where appropriate but you also know as well as I do that there are some kids who we will never get to even sit in that exam hall, let alone successfully take a paper! And it's unfortunate, but there are a lot of those children in this school!"

"I do know that! But they need qualifications, Rachel!"

"They also need a future. And letters on paper aren't necessarily going to guarantee that, not always."

She sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Hey," Eddie caught her attention softly, reaching out over the desk to take her hand. "Don't quit. Stay and prove them all wrong."

"Even you?"

He grinned, shrugging a shoulder. "Why not? Could be interesting."

She let out a small laugh. "I hate arguing with you, Eddie. But I need your support. Even if you don't agree with what I'm doing, I need you to stand beside me on it."

"Always," he promised. She nodded her acceptance, and he tilted his head. "So… you'll stay?"

"Yes," she sighed. "But I'm still not convinced this isn't a mistake."

She had to admit though, having her hand in his with him on her side was already making everything a bit better.

The next morning, Rachel hadn't even made it out of bed before the doubt set in. She had arranged an assembly with the entire school to properly introduce herself to the kids, and to say she was dreading it would be an understatement. The staff weren't on her side, hell, her own husband wasn't half of the time, so why would the students be? Her approach was very different to that of Jack Rimmer, and she wasn't sure too many of them would appreciate the obvious change.

As if sensing her uncertainty, Eddie pulled her against his side and wrapped his strong arms around her body. "Stop stressing." He kissed her shoulder, his voice still rough with sleep.

"How did you know?" She rolled her eyes even though she wasn't facing him, snuggling down in the warmth and security of his arms.

Eddie let out a soft laugh, rolling them over so they were facing each other. "Funnily enough, I know my wife." He kissed her nose to reiterate the fact, gently lifting his hand to move some hair from her face. "You're going to be amazing, I'm behind you every step. Today will be different, I promise." He had struggled to sleep with the guilt eating away at him. Rachel had a hard enough task with the entire staff team and study body of Waterloo Road, never mind the added pressure of having to fight her husband too.

"I just.. don't know Eddie. You're the most important thing to me, this marriage means more to me than any job." She commented honestly, voicing the fears she had been keeping inside since the work day had ended yesterday. She could move from job to job, adapt to any school she found herself in. There was only one Eddie, and she would do whatever she could to keep hold of him.

Eddie noticed the worry in her eyes, and his heart broke for his previous actions. "You're not going to lose me Rachel. I meant my vows, for better or for worse. We're not even close to worse yet, it was just a bad day." Always the first to put her insecurities at bay, Eddie was determined to make sure that none of them were about him. "Let's go and show the school what you're made of, I'm right by your side." He promised, knowing they were stronger when together and supporting one another.

"Together?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes, mindful of the time and them needing to leave their cocoon of duvet safety in order to get to work on time.

Eddie gave her a warm smile and a final kiss to her lips. "Always. I love you, let's go." Finally, they pulled their tired bodies from the bed and started to get ready. As they passed each other whilst pulling clothes from different drawers and wardrobes, Rachel took hold of Eddie's hand.

"Eddie, I love you too."

Walking down the middle of a hall full of students had to be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of Rachel's life. The only time she remembered feeling nerves on the same scale was when walking down the aisle to marry Eddie. Thinking of, she caught his eye as she walked onto the stage and suddenly felt her nerves melt away. He was there, supporting her every step of the way just as he promised. She stood in front of her new school and finally addressed them, in a role she had been wanting to be in for as long as she could remember. "Waterloo Road, I'm Ms Mason. I'm your new head teacher."

Almost immediately, the whispers started. She heard Mr Lawson's name mentioned a few times, so it was clear that the students also thought Eddie was destined to get the job. But she quickly swallowed the guilt that tended to arise whenever she thought of that factor, and continued to address her school. She spoke for a few moments about her expectations and the few things she was changing with immediate effect, and dismissed them all before the chatter started again. She felt confident, on cloud 9, like she had won a war instead of simply introduced herself to young people aged 11 to 18.

Eddie noticed her smile and met her at the bottom of the stairs, most of the classes having left the hall. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He offered her a smile, and she knew from his face that he was struggling to contain a grin.

"Not bad at all." She replies honestly, not sure what she was expecting but knowing that she at least figured she'd face some opposition.

"We're all meeting at the pub later, I've been asked to invite you along." Eddie slid into conversation naturally, wanting to catch Rachel with her mood still lifted in hope that she'd agree.

Rachel felt her face drop immediately, narrowing her eyes at Eddie. He knew she wasn't one to socialize outside of work. But then, she wasn't married to the Deputy at her previous workplace. "You've been asked, or you invited me yourself?" She cocked a brow, knowing exactly how protective Eddie was. Even if nobody knew, she didn't put it past him to be speaking on her behalf or meddling into the other staff's conversations.

He held his hands up in mock surrender. "I swear, it was Steph's idea. Although, I am pretty sure it's because they want to interrogate you…"

"Wonderful," she grumbled. "There's really no way I can get out of this, is there?"

"Not really."

"Between this and leaving me for your little camping expedition tomorrow, you have got a lot of making up to do, mister."

"This one isn't my fault!" he protested in a laugh. "They were always going to want to know. They always do, we're a nosy lot here."

"And you didn't think of that before suggesting this charade?" she looked exasperated. He glanced up and down the corridor to check they were alone, before he stepped forward and caught a hold of her hands.

"I have no doubt you will be fine," he told her seriously. "I know you- I'm sure you were a politician in a previous life."

"I don't know whether that's an insult or not."

"Go with not," he advised, laughingly dodging the jab she aimed his way.

That evening, she found herself pulling up to the pub, glad she had an excuse not to drink. She flipped the sun visor down, fixed her makeup and tried to clamp down on the nerves. She'd already decided she wasn't going to lie- she still wore her wedding ring, she absolutely refused to take that off. But this... this was going to be horrendous, she thought.

She was broken from her reverie by Eddie's appearance at the door. He grinned at her knowingly. "Stop putting it off."

She glared at him. "You know how much I hate things like this."

He helped her out of the car, waiting while she grabbed her bag. "Hate to say it, sweetheart, but you're going to have to get used to it. This is a big thing at Waterloo Road, has been for as long as anyone can remember."

"And if I want to fit in, I have to join in," she finished in a sigh. "I know. I just..."

"Feel uncomfortable. I know." He ducked his head to kiss her gently. "I'll be right here," he promised. She squeezed his hand, flicked her hair back and walked in with her head up, Eddie's hand warm on her back.

"Look who I found outside," he called out lightly as they approached the group of staff. Rachel pointedly ignored the range of emotions she saw on various faces.

"You came!" Steph looked gleeful. "Excellent."

"Someone made it clear I didn't have much of a choice." She shot a pointed look at Eddie, but there was no malice in her voice. Eddie volunteered to buy a round, and vanished towards the bar, leaving Rachel to face the mass.

"So Rachel," Steph began innocently, "where did you join us from?"

And so it begins, she thought, careful to keep a pleasant look on her face as she began to answer.

By the time Eddie had returned, Steph had switched topic half a dozen times and Rachel was beginning to feel as if she were in the midst of an interrogation. She took the glass he offered with a murmured thanks, not noticing the way Steph's gaze zeroed in on her hand. "What does your husband think of your new job?" She questioned with a head tilt. Now, Tom groaned slightly.

"God Steph, leave the poor woman alone."

"What?" She questioned defensively. He shook his head, glancing at Rachel.

"You have the patience of a saint," he told her. She laughed lightly.

"No worse than a group of fifteen year olds," she said dryly. "And to answer you, Steph, he was pleased for me."

"How long have you been married?" Davina asked curiously.

"A couple of years, now."

"Is he a teacher too?" Steph quickly spoke before anyone else could.

"He is. He teaches maths." She purposefully didn't look at Eddie.

"Oh? What school?"

"Are we going to do this all night?" Grantley questioned lazily, scowling slightly. And Rachel had never been so grateful to anyone before.

"Anyone need another?" She asked quickly, standing. She took note of who answered in the affirmative and hurried towards the bar, easily remembering who asked for what. By the time she'd returned, conversation had moved on and broken into groups, much to her relief. Davina immediately started chatting to her, and so she didn't notice Steph's narrowed-eyed look.

"Did you see that?" She nudged Grantley.

"What?"

"Rachel. She didn't ask Eddie what he was drinking, but got the order right anyway."

He grunted. "So?"

"So, how did she know?"

"She probably noticed earlier," Tom leaned over, having heard.

"But he didn't ask her what she was drinking either."

"Maybe he'd asked on the way over to the table," he shrugged. Steph hummed, watching the pair. They were obviously comfortable with each other, she noted, but beyond that there was nothing.

She looked at her glass, and decided maybe she should switch to non-alcoholic.

The next morning, Rachel looked on with glee as Eddie swallowed down two paracetamol with a pint of water. "I told you to stop at two beers." She added unhelpfully, patting his head gently as though he were a dog. Eddie groaned and finally looked up to meet her eyes, only for his own to widen in shock.

"You're not wearing that, are you?" He questioned, looking over her form appreciatively. His eyes practically jumped from their sockets as he eyed the low cut of her silver shirt. He longed to feel the silk beneath his fingers, to slip his hands beneath the surface and touch her skin.

Rachel gawped at him, offended beyond belief as she looked down at her own outfit. Simple black trousers and a silk shirt, something she had worn multiple times before. "What on earth is wrong with it?" She questioned, wondering what on earth was running through Eddie's head.

Eddie noticed the look on her face and laughed, pulling his wife to him until she was comfortably positioned on his lap. "I love that shirt. This is torture." He touched the material to emphasize his point, groaning dramatically and resting his head against her stomach. "I've changed my mind. This is a bad idea, call the LEA."

Rachel laughed loudly at his antics, pulling herself away from him completely. "You are a professional Eddie, you'll just have to deal with it." She chastised, completely joking as she tried her hardest to speak in a firm tone. He stood up and she took the opportunity to lean forward to whisper in his ear. "Anyway, you should see the new matching set I have on underneath." She walked away swiftly so she couldn't hear much of his reply, basking in the profanities that left his mouth as he called after her. Oh my, was she going to make sure this was fun.

As soon as Rachel made it through the gates, she was bombarded with the workload and a new safeguarding concern that had been brought to the attention of the school overnight. It was lucky that her and Eddie had decided to arrive in their separate cars, as Tom cornered her as soon as she closed the door to her silver soft top. As she listened to the case he was presenting to her, she was pulled away from him and into another dramatic account of an accusation by Steph. She apologized to Tom and allowed Steph to follow her to the office, promising to come and find him when the situation was resolved.

It turned out to be nothing, and Rachel found herself wishing that Steph would simply just leave. The resolution of the problem had given her the excuse to pick up on her interrogation of Rachel from the night before, and Rachel felt ready to tear her hair out.

"You should put up family photos, you know, maybe a wedding one." Steph added, as she walked around the office for the third time and eyed up the empty walls. Rachel looked on and marveled at the energy the blonde had at only 8am. "When did you say your anniversary was again?" She smiled sweetly as she asked, but something about her face made Rachel nervous. Did she know about her and Eddie?

"I didn't." Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes, wanting to be able to pour herself a coffee and start her day, away from anyone picking apart her private life. She'd never encountered anything like it at her previous school, but then, Steph Haydock was not employed there. Rachel looked up and realized Steph was waiting for an answer. "May 30th." She sighed, making her way over to the coffee machine with hopes that Steph would take the hint.

"That's funny, because.."

"Rachel, I'm sorry but it's social services again." Tom burst into the room and stopped Steph from continuing, which Rachel was entirely grateful for. As she listened to Tom, she noticed that Steph had finally left her office. Little did she know, that it was with extra information that had the cogs in her head turning. She needed to find Matt, and quickly.

He was in his classroom, setting out what looked like sheet music as she hurried in, closing the door behind her. "You'll never guess what I just found out!"

He glanced at her, looking slightly apprehensive. "What?"

"Rachel's wedding anniversary is the 30th of May!"

He groaned. "Steph, you've got to leave her alone. You were annoying even me last night, and she's your boss!"

She scoffed, waving a hand. "Concentrate!" she insisted. "30th May!"

"So what?"

"So? So, that's Eddie's anniversary!"

He blinked. "How do you even know that?" then he sighed. "Never mind- I forgot who I was talking to."

She paused, wondering if she should be offended at that. "Don't you find that odd?"

"What?"

"That they share an anniversary?" she couldn't believe he wasn't as enthused about this as she was. He was staring at her.

"Not really. May's a popular month to get married. Plus, they're both teachers- it's not like they can take holiday when they please."

She huffed. "But both of them? And Eddie's wife is called Rachel!"

Now, Matt was looking concerned. "Steph, you're far too invested in this. It's a coincidence- let it go."

"But-," she didn't get the chance to say more, the door opening and students beginning to pour in.

"I mean it!" Matt insisted, shooing her away. "Drop it."

Meanwhile, it wasn't until lunchtime that Rachel found a chance to tell Eddie about Steph- he came to find her when she didn't appear, found her sprawled over the sofa with her arm over her eyes. "Are you alright?" he sounded slightly alarmed.

"Social services," she groaned in explanation, and understanding washed over him. He closed to door firmly, and came to sit next to her.

"Did you sort it?"

"I think so. They might disagree," she sighed, sitting up to drop her head onto his shoulder. "Steph isn't helping."

"What's she done now?"

She told him, and he snorted a disbelieving laugh. "She's something else."

"I've never met anyone like her."

"Not sure there is anyone like her," he commented. "She's not a bad sort. Just…"

"Nosy?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

As they discussed their day over dinner, Rachel wondered once more if she was making the right decision. "Does it bother you?" She didn't even notice that she was interrupting Eddie's passionate encounter of how his year 11's were taking to his new approach to teaching division.

Rachel's outburst caught Eddie off-guard, and he wondered how long she had be keeping her worries inside. He knew his wife; she would keep up the pretence of being completely fine until she exploded. Despite her nerves about taking the job, Eddie knew she still had her reservations about how it would impact their relationship. "Does what bother me Rach?" He asked tentatively, reaching out to take hold of her hand across the table.

"Having to hide us, having to pretend we're not married." The words felt dirty even as they were spoken, and she wondered why she ever allowed herself to even make the suggestion. What kind of wife puts her career before his marriage?

Eddie knew this had been eating away at Rachel since she had accepted the job, and he quickly moved around the table so he was kneeling next to her. Her body gravitated towards his immediately, resting her head against his. "Rachel, listen to me. We're not pretending, we haven't lied. I know these people; I've worked there for years." Eddie had spoken to Rachel numerous times about his colleagues, had complained about their ability to meddle and gossip. Eddie had only revealed his marriage after pushing Steph away for the fifth time when she had tried it on him once again. Although much less than Rachel, Eddie was also private and kept himself guarded on all things that mattered. That included all discussion about his wife and children. "One bit of information and they pounce. This will be better, because when they find out, they'll know just how professional we can be."

Rachel knew he was right, Eddie always did tend to be the voice of reason in situations where she let her mind wander. "I just... I don't want you to think I'm not proud to be your wife. I love you Eddie, more than anything." She emphasised her comment with a hard kiss to his lips, her insecurities slipping through as their mouths met. She couldn't lose him. Not now, not ever. He was all she had at some points, the only one on her side and fighting her corner. He was the one who held her when things got tough, when her nightmares returned and the flashbacks didn't go away easily.

"Of course I know that Rachel, I know." He trailed his fingers down her cheek and cupped her chin, making sure their eyes were locked. "You're doing amazing. We haven't lied to anyone; nobody can hold that against you. Only Steph is suspicious, and she's suspicious of everyone." Eddie rolled his eyes, determined to make sure that the blonde did not get under his wife's skin.

Rachel smiled at his words, feeling slightly at ease. "How do you always know what to say?" She marvelled, her eyes lighting up with appreciation for the man in front of her.

"I'm your husband, it's what I do best." He swiftly stood up and lifted her into his arms, making her let out the giggle he loved so much. She wrapped her arms around his neck immediately, gripping onto him for the added security. She knew he would never drop her, but laughter shook her body.

"Don't forget Mrs Lawson, you're not my boss in this house." He added cheekily, running up the stairs with her before she could protest.

The next morning, before Rachel could even start the walk to her office, she was met by Matt Wilding. No doubt, he had been armed with questions to fire at her by Steph, who did not want to be asking too many questions herself.

"So, I bet you were thrilled to be offered the job here, right?" Matt mentally kicked himself, Steph had warned him about being subtle and that opener was anything but. He had no idea what idea Steph had gotten into her head, but he had been roped into joining her over a bottle of wine the night before.

Rachel knew immediately what was happening, and couldn't fault the pair for their countless attempts at getting information from her. "Of course, I've wanted to be a head for as long as I can remember." She walked up the stairs, and Matt followed at her heels.

"Did you know anything before you came here? About Waterloo Road?"

Rachel shot him an amused look. "I doubt there's a teacher within a few hours of here who hasn't at least heard of the place. It has quite the reputation."

She had a point, Matt had to admit. "That didn't put you off?" he asked curiously.

"Why would it?"

She continued to sort through her post, a small part of her enjoying watching the man fumble for words. "You're planning to stay then?" he asked awkwardly. Now, she deigned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Does anyone take a job they're not planning to keep?"

"Suppose not," he mumbled. Rachel fought to keep her lips from quirking. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the day? Unless you needed something?"

"Oh! Yes… I mean, no…" he turned to leave, but before he made it through the door Rachel called out to him.

"Matt? Next time, tell Steph to come on her own fact-finding mission."

He went bright red, mumbling something unintelligible and escaping as fast as he could. She resisted the urge to smirk, sorting through yet another pile of paper (honestly, how did it appear overnight?) until the calendar caught her eye and she found her smile quickly fading as she was reminded of what today was. Eddie was taking the boys on the camping trip today. Rachel disliked it on a professional level- she didn't believe the trip would make any difference whatsoever to the kid's education, plus it was meant the school was losing multiple members of staff for three days. And on a personal level, she was very unhappy to be losing her husband for that time- she would never admit it aloud, but she was rather used to having him around, especially as she was still settling into Waterloo Road.

She sighed, dumping the file she was holding onto the desk and heading down to where she knew Eddie was getting ready for the day, smirking slightly when she found him wrestling with a tent. "Can't you get those tents that just pop up, these days?" she teased.

He glanced up, grinned. "That would rather defeat the object, wouldn't it?" She smiled at him, wandering around his pile of equipment, resisting the urge to make another dig. He looked up at her, sitting back on his heels slightly. "Look, Rach, I know you don't exactly agree with this trip and that you think I'm wasting my time-,"

"I never said that," she interrupted. He shot her a look.

"You didn't have to."

"I… appreciate your enthusiasm for it," she told him honestly. "However much I may have my reservations."

That triggered a spiel she had already heard, on the importance of getting the boys out of the classroom. She remained silent, letting him speak. She wasn't lying- she did appreciate how much he seemed to believe in this project. She just didn't think it was going to work, especially not in the way he seemed to be hoping for.

She let him be, returning to her office to try to finish yet more paperwork while keeping an eye out the window on the progress of packing up the bus- when it seemed they were almost ready to go, she grabbed a file for Eddie to sign and strode downstairs, tapping a moaning Grantley on the shoulder and resisting the urge to laugh when the sight of her practically prompted a personality transplant in the man. He hurried off, allowing her to draw a smirking Eddie to the side. "Wonder how long that'll keep up," he murmured.

"Hopefully a little while longer. It's amusing. And helpful." She held out the file. "Sign please."

"You going to be okay?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Bit late to ask now, isn't it?"

Hidden from everyone around by their bodies, he grabbed her hand. "I worry."

"I know," she murmured. "I'll be okay. It's only three days. I'm more worried about you out in Derbyshire by yourselves."

His thumb drew circles on the back of her hand, studying her with a worried look on his face.

"Eddie," she said in exasperation, interpreting the look. "I'm a big girl. Despite what you seem to think, I don't need you to protect me. I'm perfectly capable of being left alone."

"I know. I still worry."

She rolled her eyes, drawing away from him. A grumpy look flashed across his face. "I want to kiss you goodbye," he muttered.

"You did that this morning," she reminded him, smiling. "And even if we weren't keeping us quiet, it would be unprofessional."

"Stuff professionalism," he grumbled, and she bit her lip to stop from laughing at him. He sighed, looking at her. "I'll see you in three days."

"You'd better." She flashed another smile, only letting it drop when she turned away to head back into school. She just better remember not to mention her husband was away, she thought absently as she dodged a group coming down the corridor, or Steph would be all over it.

Rachel wasn't needy, quite the opposite in fact. She prided herself on being strong and independent. She hadn't needed to rely on anyone since the tender age of 13, and she'd been absolutely fine with that. It suited her well, that she knew nobody else could let her down. That is, until she met Eddie. Suddenly, it felt like her life had been turned on it's head completely. She felt unable to do anything she normally would without noticing just how lonely she felt, just how strange it was to be doing things alone. Simple things like cooking pasta felt bizarre without having Eddie by her side and trying to distract her with kisses and touches. She finally caught herself when she stood brushing her teeth, only to realise she was staring at his electric toothbrush with hopes that he'd come in and pick it up. She rolled her eyes, finishing up and walking into her room as she caught on to just how pathetic she was being. Deciding to use the time to her advantage, Rachel settled back against the pillows after arranging them exactly the way she wanted and grabbed a book. She hadn't been able to get herself lost in a story for months, usually getting distracted by her husband and his hundreds of questions that he seemed to think of as soon as she turned a page. Refusing to think of how strange and cold the bed felt without another person in it, she opened the book and began to finally read.

Four chapters in, Rachel was pulled away from the characters by the sound of her phone. She had told Eddie not to text her unless it was truly important, not wanting anyone to catch sight of his phone and click on to their relationship.

From Eddie:

Nightmare, should have listened. Be home first thing. X

Rachel couldn't stop a laugh at the tone of his message, knowing that her husband would be hating the fact that Rachel would be allowed an instant in which she could say I told you so. She allowed herself to finish the page she had been reading before picking back up her phone and starting to reply. While typing, she was forced to stop when her phone began to ring.

"Eddie?" She answered, only stopping to check the caller ID but knowing who it would be calling at such a late hour. She hoped he hadn't had any more trouble, more for the sake of the school than her poor husband.

Eddie relaxed immediately at hearing his wife's voice, the sound of her calming him immediately as he rested his head against the cold wall in front of him. He had told Tom that he needed a breather, left the man in charge for a few minutes as he walked towards the reception office of the camp site. "Get out now Rach, these kids are animals."

Rachel relaxed at knowing he wasn't in any immediate danger, and settled herself back against the pillows as she listened to Eddie talk about his day. She didn't know if to be disgusted or impressed with how quickly the trip had gone to pot, or just grateful it meant Eddie got to return home early.

After Eddie had told her, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath after ranting. "You can say it." He admitted grumpily, not really wanting to give Rachel the satisfaction but knowing it was coming either way.

"I told you so." Rachel clicked on immediately, playing along with him and being rewarded with the first laugh she had heard from him since their phone call began. "But, I'm glad. You'll be home soon. The bed is cold. I miss you." She admitted quietly, looking around the room and suddenly being hit with a wave of loneliness. She felt pathetic, Eddie was on the other end of the phone for goodness sake.

The man himself was smiling widely now, glad that Rachel had felt the same way he had. He hadn't been looking forward to the days apart either, much less the fact of having to sleep alone. "I'll be home soon darling, get some sleep and I'll meet you at work tomorrow." He promised, wishing he would be there to kiss her awake. "I need to go, I've left Tom with the rugrats. I love you." He made sure to hear Rachel say it back before ending the call and walking back towards the boys.

"That the missus?" Tom asked as soon as Eddie returned, noticing the man put his phone back in his pocket.

Eddie nodded, grateful that their little secret hadn't been rumbled just yet. "Yeah, I think she's just glad I'm coming home early."

Tom nodded. "To be honest, I'll be glad to get back to the girls. Things still aren't…" he trailed off, and Eddie nodded in understanding, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Maybe you should enjoy the single evening alone with Davina, then," he said cheekily, laughing when the man flushed crimson.

…

I will not laugh. I will not laugh. Rachel repeated it over and over in her head, fighting to keep her lips from twitching at the sight of her husband in a neck brace, looking distinctly disgruntled. She apparently didn't succeed, because he scowled at her. "What're you laughing at?"

"What hurts worse- your neck or your ego?"

His scowled deepened. Anywhere else, any other time, she'd have kissed it away but they were surrounded by students and she had two children waiting in her office. So she settled for brushing her fingers against his, hiding the action with her body and then waiting patiently until she'd caught him up with the current crisis, dealt with Sally and her mother and the subsequent social referral before finally her office was blessedly empty and she could swoop forward to press her lips against his.

"I'm glad you're home."

He grinned. "Me too. Though I wasn't expecting to be quite like this…" he gave his collar a poke, making a face.

"Just so you know, you're never going camping again," she informed him, grabbing two glasses for the alcohol.

"Never?"

"No. You scared the hell out me. When Tom texted me…" she grimaced, and took a healthy swallow from her glass.

"I'm sorry…"

She waved him off. "Not your fault."

He reached out to catch her hand in his, entwining their fingers and gaining a warm smile in return. "Let's go home," he suggested, and she nodded. Home sounded really good.

As they sat on the sofa, their bodies molded together in whatever position Eddie deemed the most comfortable, Rachel listened as he spoke of all they got up to on their disastrous night away. It wasn't until he had truly filled her in that she decided to drop the bombshell on him. "So, I think Joyce knows about us." Her husband moved too fast, crying out in pain as he jarred his neck after forgetting momentarily about his accident. He blamed the shock, but it wasn't the first time that had happened since he'd returned home.

"Bloody hell." He groaned, letting out a few stronger profanities at the shooting pains he felt. Giving himself a few moments to recover, he turned to find that his ever-loving wife was still biting her lip to stop herself from crying out with laughter. "Some warning next time Rach." He narrowed his eyes at her, trying but failing to fake being mad at her. "What's this about Joyce then?" He questioned, suddenly scared for what answer she'd give.

Rachel finally recovered, blinking away the tears that had formed with how hard she had tried to not laugh out loud. She leant down to where Eddie was resting against her shoulder and planted a quick kiss to his cheek before she continued. "After the accident, nobody knew to call me straight away. Obviously as the head, I was one of the first to know, but Tom first contacted the school and I wasn't in my office." Rachel explained, leaving out the small part where she had spent a few minutes feeling incredibly guilty about the fact. Even though it was her job, she had promised to put their relationship first and hated that she hadn't been around to take the initial call and speak to Eddie when he was on his way to the hospital to get checked out. "Joyce took the call and as I came in, was searching your records for your next of kin. I didn't think about it really, why didn't we think of that when this started by the way?" Obviously before Rachel was hired as head, she was listed under her married name as Eddie's next of kin. Her number was noted down next to that, and neither had thought to change it when she started. "Before I knew it, she was ringing my number and my phone was ringing in the next room." It was Eddie's turn to laugh, only carefully this time to not move his brace again. Rachel gently hit him on the shoulder to shut him up and so she could continue her story. "I think she clicked pretty quickly because she put down her phone and smirked at me. She bloody smirked. Then told me that I needed to call Tom. He'd already text me of course, and I went into a blind panic when I couldn't get hold of you." She recalled, openly admitting to the fear she felt when she had read the text from Tom. It was only brief, a simple way that a colleague was information their boss about an incident involving another colleague. Only it wasn't that, it was so much more and Rachel had immediately rang to demand answers and information. Tom had been taken back by her panic, so she guessed he now had his own suspicions too. But she couldn't find it in her heart to care when she lay with Eddie resting against her, drawing lazy patterns on her exposed skin where her top had ridden up. He was very much here, very much alive and well, so it was a struggle to care about much else.

Eddie was touched by her concern, and buried his head against her shoulder in an act of affection. It was all he could do in his current position to show his appreciation, although he really wanted to lift his head and kiss her. Before he could act on it though, he was hit was a realization and groaned loudly. "So that's what Tom meant then." He spoke almost to himself, but his words perked Rachel's interest.

"Why? What did he say?" She almost demanded, wondering if her suspicions were confirmed and that their plan had been well and truly rumbled already. It wasn't that she minded, per say. As she had said before, she was proud to be Eddie's wife and would be quite glad for their secret to be out if it meant avoiding any further situations like today in which she was far down the list of people information when it was her husband hurt and on his way to hospital. However, she wasn't sure she was ready to face the likes to Steph Haydock and her gloating face when she's informed that she was in fact right with her suspicions all along.

"Not much." Eddie added hastily, not wanting to cause too much panic. "Only that he'd spoken to you, and you seemed pretty concerned. Just the way he said it, maybe it was nothing."

She was silent for a moment, processing, before she sighed and settled back against him. "I'm too tired to worry about it now. They were always going to find out at some point. If it's now, so be it."

"That's remarkably relaxed of you."

She was silent for a moment. "I know I keep laughing you, but you really did scare me today, Eddie. Anything else seems..."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I can't believe both of us managed to have such awful days."

"I can," she said dryly. "I have a feeling it might be a more common occurrence from now on."

He snorted in laughter, then immediately winced and Rachel had to quickly bite her lip to hide her amusement.

...

Unusually, the next day Rachel found herself with too many staff members. Since she was no longer missing a handful to Derbyshire, she went in early and cancelled one supply teacher, shuffling the remainder around to cover sickness. By the time she'd finished, the trickle of kids had become a deluge and the day was in full swing; she needed coffee, she decided, ducking into the outer office.

"Morning."

She made a concerted effort not to stiffen when she heard Tom's voice from behind her, plastering a smile on her face as she turned around to face him. "Good morning. Recovered from yesterday?"

He snorted in laughter, leaning against the desk. "Yeah, that was fun. Especially for poor Eddie."

"He does look a sight," she agreed mildly, sipping her drink. He watched her carefully, eyes flicking down to her wedding ring but she pretended not to notice.

"Worried us all a bit."

His tone was casual, and she sighed, putting her mug down. "Alright. Enough games- I know that you know."

"I'm right then? You're his Rachel?" He sounded relieved. It was an odd way of putting it, she thought as she gave a small laugh.

"As opposed to what?"

He grimaced. "Never mind."

She studied him for a moment, before her eyes widened. "You thought we were having an affair?"

"Just for a minute," he defended quickly. "Before I remembered what you'd said in the pub and put two and two together."

She shook her head slightly, taking a drink to hide her unsettled expression. "Should I be expecting the rest of the staff to know by break?"

He shook his head. "I won't tell."

"Really?"

He shrugged. "You're keeping it quiet so you could make your mark first, right?" She nodded. "I can understand that. And besides- watching Steph drive herself crazy is much more fun."

He grinned slyly, and she laughed. "That it is," she agreed.

"What is?" Eddie came in, looking at them curiously.

Rachel immediately crossed over to him, looping her arm around his waist and snuggling against him in a completely uncharacteristic move from her. Tom was shocked at her bold move, but not more so than Eddie, who looked at her like she'd grown a second head. He immediately looked to Tom, just to make sure he hadn't imagined him being there. Rachel rolled her eyes at the action, pinching his side slightly and pulling his attention back to her. "He knows, you were right." She admitted quietly, a smirk playing on her lips as she knew it wasn't something she said often as her pride did not allow her to do so. "But he's not saying anything, he doesn't want to give Steph the satisfaction."

Eddie hummed his agreement, having known the woman for a long time and agreeing that driving her insane with her wild thoughts for just a moment longer would be worth it in the long run. "I appreciate that Tom, I didn't have you pegged as Sherlock Holmes though." Eddie had been close to Tom since he started, had formed a strong support system around each other to lean on when the work day went on just that bit too long.

"The way you look at each other mate, it's not hard. Should probably tone down the doe eyes if you want to keep it a secret." Tom confirmed, knowing that Steph wasn't the only member of staff putting the pieces together. He couldn't blame them, knew all too well how it felt to be working alongside someone you loved. He was no secret to a staff room romance, which had gotten him in trouble more times than he cared to think about n

"Have you seen her?" Eddie looked at his wife in wonder, still amazed that she had agreed to marry him all those years ago.

Tom shared a look with Rachel, seeing his boss turn a deep shade of red and deciding to take the comment as his lead. "I'll be off then, that's my cue. I'll catch you later Mr Lawson." He stopped with his hand on the door handle, turning back with a smirk on his face. "Mrs Lawson."

Rachel went to comment but Eddie stopped her with a shake of his head. "Forget Tom, we've got bigger problems." Eddie finally turned to Rachel, annoyed at himself for getting sidetracked when entering the office. "It's the archeological dig, they've found something."

"Well that's great, isn't it?" She asked, curious to why it would be considered a problem.

"It's a baby Rachel, they've found the bones of a baby." Rachel immediately knew where Eddie's mind had gone, and she pulled him into a quick hug as she too thought of Steven. She hadn't known Eddie then, but the pain she knew he felt over the loss of his child was one she had helped him through many nights since they met. She knew Michael, loved him as if he were her own, and would have loved his twin all the same.

One look at Eddie's face, and she knew what she needed to do. "You stay here, I'll deal with this." She wasn't thrilled at the prospect of facing the remains of a child, but she would not put Eddie through anything that could bring back bad memories if she could help it. She had her own demons, her own nightmares that flashed before her eyes when Eddie had told her what they'd found, but she had yet to actually inform her husband about that specific part of her past and was not about to do it when she had work to attend to.

"No, I'll come. I want to be by your side."

It had been a good thing she insisted, she reflected later, when more than once she had to gently bring Eddie back to reality when he stared off into space, often while around other people. If she thought he would have gone, she'd have sent him home but as it was, she was selfishly grateful he was there- she was still so new to the school, having him by her side made life infinitely easier. That said, seeing him struggle made her ache inside, and she wished she could simply fix it.

Despite knowing that he was struggling, having him burst into her office talking disjointedly about bullying and musicals still caught her off guard. She was still trying to catch up when he was wheeling around and heading back out- she barely managed to call him back, looking at him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, for God's sake, stop fussing!"

She jerked in surprise. "Sorry…"

But almost instantly he sagged, regret flashing across his face. "No, I am." He closed to door, resting against it for a moment. "I can't stop thinking of Steven," he admitted quietly. She shifted on the spot, longing to cross to him but unsure if it would be appreciated. "God, Rach, what Maxine is going through…"

He lowered himself to the sofa, and now she came to sit next to him, hand resting lightly over his. "How do I help?"

"You already are." He gave her a small smile, before he pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her hair. "This day sucks…"

"Why don't you go home?" she suggested softly, pulling back to see his face. "You don't need to be here."

"You need me here."

"I'm a big girl, I can manage."

But he shook his head. "I want to be here. Besides, this day can't get much worse."

"Well, now you've gone and done it," she quipped, satisfied when she saw his lips twitch into a smile. He lifted her hand to press a kiss to the backs of her fingers, before he stood, trying to muster up the energy to go to class. Which was just as well, Rachel thought, when Steph burst in- wouldn't have had to explain that just topped of the day? But Eddie's words had given her an idea, and as soon as she was alone she pulled her phone out of her bag and hit speed dial.

By the time the end of the day had come around, Eddie was ready to hibernate somewhere and not emerge for quite a while. He carolled the last of the kids from the corridors and gathered his things, fully intending to find his wife and strongarm her into going home earlier than usual, if necessary.

"Daddy!"

He turned in surprise, almost bowled over by the blur that came shooting down the corridor towards him. "Michael?"

Rachel came up behind him, a little slower, grinning as she watched Eddie scoop the boy up, burying his face in him for a moment before he lifted his head to look at her, confusion etched into his expression. "Alison just dropped him off," she explained. "We just have to get him to nursery in the morning."

"But… it's Alison's day?"

She shrugged slightly. "I called her, explained what was going on. She was more than happy to let us have him for the evening."

He stared at her, Michael still in his arms. "You're amazing, you know that?"

She merely smiled.

Eddie's evening improved greatly with the added company of his son, changing all plans to go home and hide in front of the TV in favour of tiring both himself and his son out. Rachel immediately agreed to any idea that Eddie had, wanting him to do whatever it took to put his mind at rest and focus on anything that took him away from the discovery. As she watched him chase Michael around the soft play area, she pondered on the thought that had plagued her mind since their awful day had began only hours early. She had something to share with Eddie, a discussion she knew was inevitable but had been avoiding since the day they met. It was wrong of her to hide anything from him, and they had prided themselves on being such an open and honest couple. But this was something so personal to her, and opened up such a raw feeling of heartache that she hoped Eddie understood why she had hidden away from speaking about it for so long.

With the play area being unusually busy for the weekday evening, Rachel found herself sharing a table with a fellow mum as they watched the children play and spoke mindless chatter about all things children. Rachel was grateful that she was able to include herself in the conversation, knowing all too well about the obsessions of both Paw Patrol and Frozen, seeing as the action figures seemed to litter every room of her home. Even though Michael was not biologically hers, and she had always had an understanding with Alison to never overstep her boundaries, she cared for the boy unconditionally and that often showed on her face. "Your husband is very hands on, it's clear your son adores him." The mother acknowledged as they both watched Eddie crawl through a tunnel with Michael. Rachel proudly agreed, not thinking to correct the woman and create any awkwardness. They were her family and as long as Michael wasn't confused, that was enough for her.

Much later on and after the consumption of far too much pizza, Rachel waited by the door as Eddie tucked Michael in. The sweet boy whispered goodnight both to her and his father, before immediately falling to sleep clutching his favourite stuffed elephant. One thing Rachel definitely missed about being so young was the outstanding ability to fall asleep anywhere and in record time.

"Thank you." Eddie approached her and took her hand in his, walking her out of Michael's room and shutting the door half to, so the light from the landing shone inside and stopped him from getting scared if he was to wake in the middle of the night. He meant his words, grateful that Rachel had known what he needed before even he did. The naïveté of being so small was not lost on Eddie, and he was able to take some of that innocence just for the evening and forget his awful day.

Rachel kissed her husband quickly before leading him to their bedroom, nestling against him on their bed with his arms wrapped around her. She had been quiet since they arrived home, not intervening with the nighttime routine as she mulled over now to start this dreaded conversation. "Eddie, I need to tell you something." She admitted, deciding to bite the bullet before her nerves got the better of her. "But I need you to listen to me before you react, okay?"

"What is it? You're scaring me."

Rachel tried to console him with her facial expressions but wasn't sure how she could do so before actually telling him. She wasn't sure how he would react when he realised what she'd kept from him. "I'm sorry I haven't told you before, it's nothing personal with you so please remember that." She turned to face him, legs curled underneath her as she absentmindedly played with his fingers and hoped he would allow her to finish what she needed to say. "I haven't told anyone, not another soul. I've wanted to tell you, especially when you told me about Steven, but I just couldn't get the words out." She felt her eyes fill with tears and blinked them away rapidly, needing to remain levelheaded as she spoke before she lost it entirely. "I had just turned 19, still very much involved in an awful time of my life with some awful people. And then, I got pregnant. It's why I got out, because I needed to then. I had another life to care for, one I refused to bring into such a disgusting way of life." Rachel closed her eyes as she continued, not wanting to see the disgusted look on Eddie's face as she practically whispered her deepest secret. "I lost the baby quite late on, but he got me out of that dark place. It was a boy. I always thought he was sent to me for a reason, but taken so he could watch on as I went on to better things. I did what I promised to do, changed my name and made something of myself.. I'm telling you this because I think it's time and truthfully?" She paused, taking a deep breath and finally lifting her eyes to face Eddie head on, hoping he realised how honest she was being. "I want another chance, I want to be a mother Eddie." It was earlier than they'd discussed, with it being one of the main reasons that Rachel even went for headship a few months back. Their plan was to save until they were ready to give their children the best start in life and be able to provide for them for as long as possible. But today had set something off in Rachel, and she longed to fill the place in her heart that had been empty for the longest time. She also ached to give Eddie another chance at fatherhood, to enjoy the newborn stage and not to have it tainted with the overwhelming grief and heartache he felt when he thought of Michael as a baby.

She waited anxiously as Eddie processed- he was undeniably stunned, mind racing to catch up with what he'd been told. All those times Rachel had comforted him over Steven, the day before when she'd been so worried about him… and the entire time, she was coping with her own loss. "You're unreal sometimes, you know that?"

She relaxed ever so slightly, assured he wasn't angry with her in any way. But he hadn't responded to the next part of her request, and she felt slightly sick over it. "I'm really not."

"So there's no misunderstandings…" he began slowly. "Are you saying you want to start trying now?"

She bit her lip, gave a single, sharp nod. "I know the timing isn't the best…"

It wasn't, he agreed. In terms of her career, it probably couldn't be much worse. But in terms of their marriage… there had been nothing holding them back for a while now. "Have you considered what it would mean?" he asked. "You've only been here a few weeks. And you have big plans for Waterloo Road; taking a year out would derail more than a few of them."

"I know." she smoothed down her skirt, resisting the urge to wring her hands. "I mean, I wouldn't necessarily have to take a full year- lots of women don't."

"Rachel," he admonished, knowing she what she was doing. "Be serious. Regardless of how long you took, you would miss a chunk of the school year, in all likelihood a large chunk. And people would talk, your position would be- at best- precarious."

She waved a hand at that. "Let them talk. There's a reason I'm headteacher so young. I know it isn't perfect, Eddie, but… I really want this."

"Okay."

He was deep in thought, thumb drawing absent circles on the back of her hand. As she looked at him, a thought that had her stomach sinking occurred to her. "Do you… not? Have you changed your mind about having more?"

He looked startled. "I…"

Pain lanced through her, but she pushed it down. "Eddie. Talk to me."

"I thought I'd have more time to get used to the idea," he admitted. "Truthfully? It terrifies me. The idea of what happened to Steven happening again…"

"You don't want to risk it," she finished quietly, knowing she had failed in keeping the disappointment out of her voice. She looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat and ensuring she had smoothed her expression before she turned back to face him, managing to give him a smile. "It's okay. I understand."

He grabbed her other hand, holding them together in his. "I'm not saying no," he told her, and hope sparked again. "But I think, after today, both of us are too raw to make any decisions." He probably had a point there, she conceded. "This conversation isn't over, love, but I think we should shelve it, just for a couple of weeks. Until emotions aren't running quite as high."

She nodded her agreement. "Okay. But Eddie… if you have changed your mind, I want you to admit it. I'm not going to be angry."

But she would be bitterly upset, he knew, pulling her into his arms. And wondered what on earth they were going to do now.

Rachel once again threw herself into work after their pillow-talk, choosing to focus on the school musical and planning a day at the prison for the more out of reach children she knew she was struggling to connect with. Her relationship with Eddie didn't suffer, far from it as they seemed closer than ever, but she felt herself sink slightly with each night she fell to sleep without an answer from him. She had always promised herself that his decision for children would not cause an issue between them, and she was determined not to lose him over it. But having revisited the pain she felt when admitting to Eddie about her past, it ignited a desire within her to be a mother and she knew that it would be a hard pill to swallow if Eddie decided he couldn't go through it again. His worries would be entirely understandable, and Rachel could not imagine ever having children with anyone else, but it would still take her time to process that she would never be able to feel that feeling again.

Eddie himself was pondering over Rachel's words, and hated the look on her face each night as she went to sleep. He knew it was killing her, not having an answer and waiting on him to decide, but this wasn't a decision he was taking lightly. What had happened with Steven had destroyed him inside, and it had destroyed Alison too. Luckily they had Michael to focus on, but their marriage was practically none existent and he couldn't let that happen to him and Rachel. The love he felt for her was nothing he'd ever felt before, he cared for her so deeply that sometimes he wondered if it was entirely normal to be so in love with someone. The thought of seeing her as hurt as Alison was hurt him to his core, especially if it was a pain that could possibly be avoidable. He was thinking on his decision, knowing it's something that shouldn't be taken lightly, as he walked the corridors and herded the final of the students back into class when the bell had gone to signal the end of lunch.

"Sir, some man is looking for Miss Mason. Where is she?" Eddie furrowed her brow at Danielle, as he knew Rachel was holding an afternoon tea for the Governors that were watching the school play.

"I'll go and find her." He promised, setting off towards her office as that was always the first place to look.

Luckily, his suspicions were correct as the shut office door was his telltale sign that he was right. He threw it open, not stopping to knock as he knew he probably should when entering the shut office of his boss. "Rachel, didn't you remember?..." He stopped talking immediately, his voice caught in his throat at the sight of Rachel's terrified eyes, tears waiting to bed shed as she shook with tears. Immediately, Eddie had her wrapped in his arms and rocked her against him. He waited for her to calm, for her relentless shaking to stop before asking her carefully. "Sweetheart, what's happened?"

"Tess Doyle." Rachel replied immediately, and rolled her eyes slightly at her own reply. She knew that would mean nothing to Eddie, but was prolonging the explanation that she knew her husband would require. "She knew me.. back then. We worked together."

His grip on her tightened, knowing that one of her greatest fears was becoming a reality. He longed to take her away from the pain of her past, to rid her of the anguish and shame she felt. "What about her?" He was still confused to why this person had made Rachel to react in such a way, especially in the middle of the day and caused her to retreat to the safety of her office.

Rachel looked at Eddie with wide eyes, snaking a hand to behind his neck in order to play with the hair there. It was a way she was able to calm herself, to remind her of all good that had come to her life since she left that life behind. "She's here Eddie, in the hall. She watched the play and then smiled when she saw me. What do I do?" She asked him in a voice so unlike hers, so timid and shy, that is broke Eddie's heart all over again.

"Are you sure it was her?"

She nodded. "The way she looked at me… she knew who I was, and she knew that I knew. Eddie-,"

"Breathe, Rach," he soothed, but inwardly his stomach was churning.

"But Eddie, what if she tells someone? What is she even doing here? Why was she watching the musical?"

"Maybe she's a parent?" he suggested calmly, running a hand down her back. "There are lots of possibilities, darling, don't jump to the worst conclusion."

"It's not a jump! For her to be here, now? That isn't a coincidence!" her voice rose, half-terrified. "It can't be!" She pulled away from him to drop onto the sofa, head in her hands. He hovered uncertainly, unsure whether to reach out or not.

"Rachel?" he questioned, easing himself next to her instead. She looked at him, and he couldn't place the emotions in her eyes for a second, until he realised it was stark fear.

"What do I do?"

He embraced her in lieu of answering, lips pressed to her head. "I'm sure it's nothing," he repeated.

"You told me once that it wouldn't stay a secret forever," she murmured, half to herself. "I really hoped you were wrong."

Voices in the outer office had them both jumping, and he quickly stood up, then cursed when he recognised Danielle's voice. "I forgot- someone was looking for you."

"Who?"

"I don't know. One of the governors, maybe?"

She nodded, crossed to her desk and withdrew a mirror, carefully cleaning up the small amount of makeup that had smudged before she took a deep breath. "I'm coming."

She met Danielle at the door, and Eddie found himself walking back alone, eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities. He hoped Tess whoever really was a coincidence, but somehow he doubted it… especially around Waterloo Road.

To her credit, Eddie watched in amazement as Rachel worked the room as though nothing had happened. She spoke to all governors individually whilst filling their glasses with champagne as she moved around the room, a smile fixed to her face as she did so. It was only when the play was ready for its second go that was she was able to excuse herself and escape off to the hall once more, the place now filled with genuine family and friends. She hoped this meant that Tess had decided to leave, but as she took her spot in front row next to Eddie, she looked over and saw she had no such luck.

Eddie felt her tense beside him, and followed her eyesight over to a brunette woman on the same row as them. He figured this was the woman she had mentioned, so inched his hand closer to hers in the space that they kept between them. His hand rested on top of hers secretly, his little finger grasping onto hers to offer her the only comfort he was able to do in such a public setting whilst at work. She looked over to him quickly to offer him a smile, to show her appreciation as she sat taller in her seat. His presence next to her gave her the added confidence she needed, knowing that whilst he was beside her then she was safe and he'd never let anything happen to her if he could help it.

The show went off without a hitch this time, and Rachel felt she could burst with pride as she gave her standing ovation. Moments like this reminded her exactly why she loved her job so much, and just why she was so hell bent on keeping it. She slipped away from Eddie as the crowd disbursed to meet the students in the corridor, and caught sight of Tess hanging by the stage and waiting her arrival. Rachel was able to catch herself and hold her head high as she approached, hoping she looked a lot more confident than she was really feeling.

Tess watched her approach and closed her hands into a fist as an outlet for her nerves, knowing this wasn't a nice situation for either woman to be in. She both hated her for how well she'd done and couldn't help but be disgustingly jealous that she was merely a secretary compared to her success. "Nice school you've got here Amanda." She wasn't there for a friendly catch up, was given her orders and would be obeying them for her own sake.

"Tess, what do you want?" Rachel didn't even stop to correct her about her name, didn't have the fight in her after being floored by her presence.

"You've done well for yourself. I'm happy for you." The sincere comment had Rachel on tender hooks. And it wasn't long before she heard.. "But, my boss. He knows about me, and he found out about you. I'm here to warn you, he's coming."

"Who's coming?"

The noise outside caught her attention and she wasn't able to hear Tess' reply as she felt pressure on her arm and was being turned away. "Rach, I'm sorry. We've got a problem." They were words Rachel never wanted to hear again, and when she turned to find Eddie behind her, she wondered if he had made up a story to simply give her a break.

She knew it was important so she simply stalked away from Tess without an explanation, not knowing if she was relieved or anxious that she hadn't heard a name from the woman. She had wanted to hear what Tess had to say, but also wanted to bury her head in the sand. If she wasn't able to hear her reply, she wasn't able to spend days and week in anticipation. However, as she left the hall, she suddenly had her arms full with a certain 3 year old.

"Rachey!" Michael threw his arms around Rachel's neck, planting a wet kiss to her cheek and not caring about their audience as the crowds gathered around them. She quickly moved towards her office with Michael in her arms, throwing Eddie a look over the boys head as he followed her.

Eddie knew what that look meant, but he didn't have an explication to give. He himself was pulled away from conversing with parents to find his ex-wife stood with his tearful son, barely saying a word as she passed him over. Only when her arms were free did she tell Eddie that she needed a break and she needed him to take him before she quickly ran for the doors. "Alison left him, I'll explain later."

"Rach, look!" Michael pointed at a display, giggling wildly and despite herself she began to smile, pausing to let him look.

"I see it. What do you call that animal?"

"Riger!"

"Tiger," she corrected gently.

"No, riger!"

She grinned at him, trailing a finger down his cheek. "Riger isn't a word, silly."

"Riger!" he insisted, and she laughed lightly, feeling inexplicably better.

"Okay, have it your way."

Down the hall, Chlo was giving them an odd look which she met with a polite smile, carrying on to her office. "Do you want to colour?"

"Yeah!"

She dug out some paper and managed to find a couple of different coloured biros, setting them down at the table and turning to Eddie. "What on earth?"

"I have no idea," he admitted. "This isn't like Alison."

She felt tension running down her spine, pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't need this today," she muttered, and saw the look Eddie gave her. "Not like that."

"Daddy, look!"

Eddie turned away, and Rachel took the opportunity to slip out into the outer office, dropping into a chair and putting her head in her hands. Tess, Michael, the governors- she wanted to throw something. Or scream, she hadn't quite decided yet. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Breathe, Rachel," she murmured. She grabbed her phone, messaged Alison and then pushed to her feet.

"Rachel! Draw with me!"

She smiled at the little boy, fingers brushing through his hair. "I've got to go back to work. But daddy will draw with you."

He pouted.

"Come on," Eddie pulled a piece of paper towards him. "Bet I can draw a better car than you."

Tess was gone by the time she'd made her way back downstairs, but the governors were still milling around and she plastered on a bright smile, falling easily into her roll of headteacher and deftly deflecting questions about where her deputy was. She almost forgot about the pair waiting for her, until her phone buzzed and she inconspicuously slid it out to look at it. "Damn."

…

"She what?"

Eddie stared at his wife, slightly stunned. "She's sick," Rachel repeated. "Really sick, by the sounds of it."

"How on earth did she get him here?"

"She's a mother," she shrugged, coming to sit next to him on the sofa. "But I guess he's staying with us for the foreseeable future."

"I'm sorry- I only realised who I interrupted you with after."

She grimaced slightly. "Tess."

"What did she want?"

"I'm not sure I know." Michael crawled into her lap and she found herself clinging to him for comfort, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his as she finally let herself relax. She'd been running on stress and stress alone all day, hit with obstacles left right and centre. Only now did she allow herself a moment to slow down, to steady her nerves and just appreciate being able to hold him in her arms as he took comfort in her presence right back. "Today has been a mess." She added, aching to go home and curl up into a ball for as long as possible. It was the last day of term, so everyone else seemed in high spirits as they waited for a week off to recover and relax before the chaos of Christmas begins. "Oh god, everyone's off to the pub." Another issue to deal with had Rachel letting out a long sigh. There was no way she'd been able to sneak off with Eddie and Michael without raising suspicions, and she definitely wasn't going to bring him along. The pub was no place for a worn out 3 year old, and it would definitely give the game away for how close they were.

Eddie had to hold back a curse, wondering himself how they were going to work their way out of this situation. He was sure that Rachel carrying Michael had already turned some heads, and it wouldn't be long before they were piecing together the information and coming close to the truth. "I'd forgotten about that." He threw a hand to his face, tugging at his skin as she tried to claw an answer from his brain which had long since gone to sleep. It was the longest day he'd ever had, and the need to run away from it all was great. Half term couldn't come quick enough, and it didn't look like he was catching a break any time soon either. He loved his son, would do anything for him without a second thought, but he was the most active 3 year old he'd ever known. He was only now quiet because he was being rocked gently by Rachel and was about to fall asleep at any given moment.

"I'll go to the pub." Rachel offered, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. It was the only way they'd both get out of it, and save themselves any more hassle while doing so. "I'll say you've gone home with Michael. I won't stay for long and I'll be home in time for bath time. A whole week with Michael, I can't wait." She replied excitedly, and Eddie watched her face light up at the thought. In that moment, he knew how to improve their moods. It was a decision he hadn't taken lightly, but her reaction to their unexpected time with Michael had shown him that he was making the right decision.

"Consider it practice for when we have our own."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, we'll talk later but.. yes." Any pain, any possible heartache, he knew he could weather as long as he got the watch his wife's face light up like this at regular intervals. These moments were so special to him, seeing her so full of joy and carefree. It was like the stress of the past weeks had melted away, any disagreement they may have had practically none existent and she grinned at him. "I'll take him off you, get him home and have dinner ready." Eddie offered, standing up to take Michael from her lap as he was practically asleep on her shoulder. His eyes were open, but only barely and he was fighting sleep with all of his might.

"You're so good to me." She joked, but the sincerity in her voice shone through. She was overwhelmed with what he'd just said, rapidly blinking back tears as she fought to keep her emotions in place in order for her to survive the rest of the day. Her mood lifted immediately, her smile blinding as she passed over Michael and pressed a quick kiss to Eddie's lips. "I'll see you at home."

It took every bit of acting ability she had to plaster on a smile at the pub, chatting to Matt for a while about the musical and wondering how early she could realistically leave without causing waves. Unfortunately, the conclusion she came to was 'not for a while'. She managed to hide her grimace, resigning herself to staying put for the time being, just as Steph called over to her. "Rachel! Where's Eddie?"

She faked a smile for the blonde. "I have no idea, I'm afraid."

"Didn't he tell you?"

"Do I look like his keeper?" From the corner of her eye, she could see Tom fighting to keep a wide grin off his face and studiously ignored him. She turned back to Matt, asking a question about continuing some sort of drama programme and pretending that she didn't see the blonde looking at her for a while. She risked another glance at the clock, and sighed slightly. She'd made it through five more minutes.

...

It was getting later than he'd assumed Rachel would be home, and Eddie was just beginning to be concerned when he heard the key in the lock. Rachel looked exhausted, he noted as he came out to meet her in the hallway, but a warm smile spread across her face when she saw him. "I thought you'd be in bed already."

"I was waiting for you."

She slid into his arms, sighing slightly as she rested her head on his chest. "I offered to drop Matt home, he and Steph were blacklisted by the taxi company after the last night out."

"Really?"

"I have no clue what they did; Matt wouldn't tell me."

He pressed a kiss to her head. "You go on to bed, I'll lock up," he offered, and she nodded gratefully. She ducked her head in to check on Michael and was ready for bed in minutes, sat in front of the mirror to tie her hair back when she paused, hands falling to her lap. Eddie found her there, staring blankly at the reflection and he frowned. "Rach?"

"Tess said that someone was coming for me, that this person knows about me, my past."

He came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "You think she was telling the truth?"

"I don't know." Her eyes met his, a haunted expression in them. "Eddie, what if she is?"

Eddie didn't hesitate for a moment, leaning down towards her so he could press a kiss to her exposed skin by her neck. "We cross that bridge when we come to it, but know this Rachel." He turned her to face him, quickly kissing her lips before he continued. "We will tackle whoever it is together. No matter what happens, I'll be right there." His words were a comfort, and she sagged against him and rested her head against her chest as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

She shared a warm smile with him as she settled against his body, allowing him to simply hold her and allow her to feel safe in the comfort of his arms. "This isn't just me though. It's you, and it's you and Michael too." She worried, having spent the first few months of their relationship consumed with fears about Eddie finding out her secret. She need not of worried, as he simply explained they all had pasts that they weren't proud of. Rachel accepted his past with Alison, his grief that came with losing Steven and the extra pressure of having a child. Did he like that side of Rachel's past? Absolutely not. But the fact was he only hated it so much because of how much she beat herself up over it, how little she thought of herself even though the situation was almost completely out of her control.

"Exactly Rachel, that's the point. We are family, so we deal with this like one."

The word hit home for Rachel, even though she'd heard them before. She'd never really had a family before Eddie, not since her mother died when she was only 15. Her father blamed her as she watch in the car, and her sister was too young so would listen to anything that came out of their dad's mouth. Each and every time she realised she had a family again, it caused a lump in her throat. She was a wife, she was a step-mother. She had two people that adored her entirely, past and all. "I'm sorry Eddie, I just get scared. I don't want to lose you." She knew never to hide anything from Eddie, had learned the hard way what pushing away the people closest to her did. She didn't want to be alone anymore, loved the feeling of being part of something and having someone to come home to, someone to live for.

"You'll never lose me. Or Michael. Now stop being daft, shall I make us some tea? Sit on the sofa and make out like teenagers for a bit?" His words had its needed effect, and she giggled loudly before holding a hand over her mouth, remembering the sleeping boy upstairs.

"That sounds perfect."

Despite Eddie's reassurances, Tess's words haunted Rachel and she found herself eyeing every stranger she came across, wondering if they were the ones the woman had been talking about. She did, however, manage to hide her anxieties from Eddie, who was mostly just thrilled to have Michael around for a solid amount of time and was easily distracted. He'd been with them a few days when Eddie managed to tire him out enough to crash at a reasonable hour, leaving him and Rachel to lounge on their bed, him with marking and her with CVs for potential TAs.

"Rach?" He broke the comfortable silence suddenly, putting down the exercise book he was holding to look at her. "Why haven't you asked about what I said?"

"What did you say?"

He reached out, used one finger to lower the papers hiding her face from view. She blinked owlishly at him, and he couldn't help but smile slightly at it. "About having a baby."

She swallowed, placing the CV down beside her and settling back to face him more fully. "Were you serious?"

"Did you think I wasn't?" He frowned, surprised and she shrugged minutely.

"I don't know. I didn't know you were doubting it until last week- I didn't want to hope. Were you?"

"Yes," he emphasised. "I'm going to be a nightmare, Rach, I won't lie. But as anxious as I am about it, it's not enough to stop me from wanting it."

"You're not just saying it because it's what I want?"

He gave a lopsided grin, because she really knew him too well. That did sound exactly like something he would do... but not with something as important as this. "I want this too. Very much."

Her face lit up in a bright smile, and something inside him was suddenly absolutely sure he had made the right decision. "Michael will be a good big brother," she murmured, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and brushing the backs of his fingers across her cheek.

"You're going to be a fantastic mother."

She leaned over to slide her arms around his neck, carefully not to squash any of the workbooks between them. But then, a realisation occurred to her and the smile dropped from her face, hidden from Eddie as panic overtook her. Tess's warning had been playing on a loop in her head- could she really have a baby when someone might be targeting her? And what did that even mean anyway?

She burrowed herself deeper into Eddie's shoulder, trying to push away the fear rising in her chest as Eddie grinned widely, clueless to the train of thought his wife's mind had taken.

"Why don't you ask to meet her?" Eddie asked from next to her, causing her to look up at him shock. Sometimes, Eddie felt his wife didn't give him enough credit for how well he truly knew her. He knew her thought process for starting at Waterloo Road, knew she'd want to establish herself as a headteacher before it was discovered that she was married to the Deputy. In the same way, he knew that her mind wasn't on his earlier comments about children because she was simply preoccupied, too rooted with the fear of her past coming back to haunt her and ruin any possible future she may have.

Rachel looked up at Eddie with wide eyes, blinking a few times as she considered his words. It was as if he'd been inside her head, as she was wondering just the same thing. She knew she needed answers, and had the resources to get those. It was clear that Tess wanted to talk, either off her own back or having been told to do so by whoever was pulling her strings. "I could do, I suppose." She knew she'd be able to get hold of her contact information easily, there must have been a way she'd been invited into the school and it wouldn't be hard to figure that out. However, one look at Eddie's face, and she knew what she needed to do. "We take the weekend, the time with Michael. Nothing but us and our family. On Monday, I'll go into school and get Tess' number, okay?"

Eddie hummed in agreement and kissed her in reply, pulling her flush against his body and wrapping her up in his arms. "On one condition..."

"Anything."

"You help me choose, green or yellow for the nursery?" The laugh that his words pulled from Rachel was music to his ears, and she rolled herself under him whilst wrapping her arms around his neck to pull his lips down to hers. Suddenly, words weren't needed anymore.

True to her word, Rachel went into work the following Monday. They'd spent all weekend in family bliss, lazy mornings and adventurous afternoons in parks and woods taking up their days before they curled up in the living room and binge watched Disney films. Michael was content to sit between them and doze off only 10 minutes into whatever film he had chosen, which resulted in Rachel and Eddie having lengthy conversations dreaming about adding another little one to their set up.

The morning in question, Rachel allowed herself a morning of Cheerios and cartoons with Michael on the sofa, before leaving Eddie to take him swimming and taking herself into work. The caretaker was surprised to see her in, but she promised it wouldn't be for long as she headed for the office. She'd left it in a mess, and quickly tidied while enjoying the peace before finding the invites that had been emailed out to governors and contractors alike. She recognised almost every name, and narrowed it down to the ones she knew would be bidding on the new training centre. After one unsuccessful call, she dialled the number for Hordley Constructions and waited while it rang.

"Hordley Constructions, how can I help?"

Rachel didn't need to look any further, knew she'd found the right number as soon as the voice spoke through the phone. "Tess? It's Rachel Mason, I think we need to talk."

It had taken some convincing, but Tess had eventually agreed to meet her, one Saturday morning at a small but often busy coffee shop in town, where no one would pay attention to two women chatting over their steaming mugs. The fact that their topic of conversation was less than pleasant would escape anyone who saw them.

Rachel was very good at acting when she needed to be.

It helped, of course, that Eddie was with Michael at the park down the road, waiting anxiously for her and ready to come running if something went wrong. But they were worrying over nothing- Tess was alone, with tired eyes and a faintly guilty expression.

"It was just a throwaway comment at first," she defended. "I saw a picture in the dossier about Waterloo Road school, almost swallowed my tongue. Said something about how you'd done well for yourself. And Stuart… he pounced on it."

"So you told him everything."

Tess looked ashamed. "I was jealous," she confessed. "You're this amazing headteacher, with a husband and a nice house and a little boy. I'm an underpaid secretary who works stupid hours and lives in a crummy shared flat with strangers."

"And that's my fault?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. By the time I realised just how far Stuart is willing to go, it was too late." She watched as Rachel rubbed her hands over her face, her stomach having fallen through the floor. "If it's any consolation," Tess offered tentatively, "he is a man of his word. If you play along, I don't think he'll go back on what he promises."

"How is that supposed to be a consolation?" she demanded incredulously. Tess bit her lip, and she sighed. "Exactly how much does he know?"

The answer was an awful lot. And even worse, he had proof in the form of that old article which for the life of her Rachel couldn't work out why Tess had kept it all these years. It was with a curt, chilly tone that she bade the woman goodbye and made her way to where she knew Eddie and Michael were; they didn't see her arrive, and she was content to sit and watch them from nearby for a while as she stewed over what to do.

Watching her two boys gave Rachel some strength she needed so desperately at that time. She watched Eddie chase Michael, the little boy letting out sounds of glee as his laughter echoed around the otherwise empty playground. That was a sound she longed to hear for the rest of her life, a sound of innocence that she'd do anything to protect. It was going to be difficult, she was going up against a man she had never even seen before, but at least she had a head start. From Tess, she had the prewarning that it was happening, which she couldn't help but be grateful for. She also had a name and the company, so she could do her own research and get her head around what was happening before it happened. Hopefully, she'd be able to find whatever article it was that Tess had mentioned online, with the hopes of somehow having it removed or taken down before it could be found by students or staff.

"I take it it didn't go well." Rachel was only aware of Eddie's presence when he spoke, had no idea how long he'd been sat beside her or when he'd managed to grab her hand and entwine their fingers together.

Rachel shook her head slightly in reply before sighing, leaning against him and allowing him to wrap his arms around her. "He knows a lot, wants to use it to help his business. He's got proof."

She said the words so simply, Eddie turned to look at her with his brows knitted together. She was too calm, her voice too low as she repeated the information in a robotic manner. "Rach, it's going to be okay." Even as he said the words, he knew there was no way she would believe him. Until he knew what he was up against, he couldn't settle the thought in his own head so his words to her held no meaning. He felt he was failing in his husband duties, not able to protect his wife in the way he had promised he would from the beginning.

"This is my mess, I need to sort it." Rachel replied plainly, not wanting to bring Eddie down with her. She was already thinking of ways she could rectify the situation, to possibly save both her career and her marriage.

Eddie placed a finger under Rachel's chin and lifted her head so she was looking at him. He spared a glance over to look over to Michael, who was happily still climbing up and down the slide with a look of glee on his face.

"This is our mess, and we need to sort it Rachel. Together." He sealed his promise with a kiss, an idea floating around in his head as he looked into her eyes. She finally looked hopeful at his words, and he sometimes forgot just how insecure she still was. Even in a stable marriage with a little boy to watch over, Rachel sometimes still let her demons overshadow her rational thoughts. She still thought sometimes that Eddie would up and leave, that she'd never see Michael again and would be punished for her troubled past when most of it was out of her control. "I think I have an idea, but some things need sorting first."

"Like what?"

"We tell the staff about us, about our marriage. If this man comes sniffing around, it'll be out and I'd rather we told them." Rachel nodded her head, agreeing with him so far. She'd cemented herself amongst the staff at this point, had made a name for herself and done so off her own back and through her own ideas and willpower. Truthfully, she'd be grateful to have her secret out in the open, no matter how fun she was finding their secret make out sessions behind closed doors in her office. "Then, we find everything out we can. 5 steps ahead of him, always. Get Tess onside, know what he wants from this deal and put a lid on it before it explodes in our face, right?"

Rachel felt close to tears, unable to speak due to the large lump in her throat as she looked at her husband in amazement. She kissed him, using both hands to cup his face as their lips met forcefully.

"I love you Eddie."

He went to reply, but was interrupted by his son jumping between them, landing in their laps and shrieking in outrage as he watched his dad and stepmum share a kiss. "Ewwww." He giggled, pressing his hands to their lips as they separated with matching grins on their faces. Rachel quickly turned her attention to him, making him shriek with laughter as she planted kisses to his cheeks.

"Let's get home." She picked Michael up, resting him on her hip despite his weight and holding her hand out for Eddie to take, which he immediately did. Nothing was sorted, no plans were concrete and the worry was still nestled deep in the pit of her stomach. But with Michael in her arms and Eddie by her side, it was hard to let anything get her down for too long. Nothing, or no one, was going to take neither of them away for her and she just needed some help with remembering that from time to time.

By the time Monday morning had snuck around, an idea to lighten his wife's mood had hit Eddie, and as they sat at the desk together in the office, he finally found time to broach the subject with her.

"You remember how I suggested telling the staff about us?"

She glanced up, looking curious as to where this was going. "Yes?"

"What if we didn't outright tell them?"

"What do you mean?" Now, she looked wary.

"What if we don't make an announcement- I know how much you hate to have all eyes on you when it's to do with your personal life anyway. What if we just act married?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean, let you snog me in the staffroom?"

"Don't be silly. I hate sleeping in the spare room."

She snorted, knowing full well they'd never got to that point in their relationship. And never would, knowing how stubborn the both of them could be. "So what?"

"Just… be us. Instead of Miss Mason and Mr Lawson."

He wasn't explaining himself very well, but he didn't need to. Light entered her eyes, and she grinned. "Imagine Steph's face."

"She'll be so annoyed, especially if no one else see it at first."

She was smiling, but it took on a slightly different tone as she looked at him. "I know what you're doing."

He gave his best innocent look. "What?"

"You're trying to distract me." her tone was cool, and for a moment he worried that she'd taken it the wrong way. But then, her lips were brushing against the corner of his mouth and she was smiling softly at him. "Thank you."

Just as Eddie suggested, they didn't do anything drastic. They were more casual with each other when away from the students, and whereas before Eddie had been making a concerted effort to call her Rachel in front of others, now Rach slipped out more often than anything else. He'd even called her love once in the staffroom, earning him an odd look from Jasmine. He liked the effect the whole thing had on Rachel as well- she smiled more, despite everything going on, was more relaxed in general. He hadn't realised just how much this was affecting her, he thought, watching her chat with Davina at the bar of the pub they were in.

When they brought the round of drinks over, she slid in next to him, just a fraction too close. From across the table, Steph's eyes narrowed. He felt his mouth twitch, and when there was a break in Rachel's conversation, he lowered his head to murmur in her ear. "Look at Steph's expression."

She glanced around, pretending to look at the blackboard on the wall. "She looks at the end of her tether," she murmured back in amusement. The blonde was hitting Matt on the arm, hissing furiously to him while he seemed to be shaking his head in exasperation. "We probably shouldn't be enjoying this so much."

Eddie shrugged. "Who cares? We're not hurting anyone, and the truth will be out in the next few days." His phone buzzed, and he dug it out to glance at the screen. "Alison wants to know if we'd take Michael Thursday night instead of Tuesday. Her mother's visiting."

He showed her the text, and she raised an eyebrow. "Is she sure? We've got him Friday and Saturday as well."

"You haven't met her mother," he said dryly. She laughed, and shrugged a shoulder.

"I haven't a problem with it. Just remind her to pack his swimming stuff then."

He typed out the message, had only just sent it when he felt her hand tap his knee. She subtly motioned with her hand, pointedly not looking at him and when he followed the movement it was to find Steph's gaze boring into him. He gave her a puzzled, innocent look.

She quickly looked away, and he grinned. This was fun.

Steph couldn't believe that nobody else could see what she did, how could they all be so blind? Rachel and Eddie were practically glued together, whispering to one another and smiling to each other like nobody else was in the room. Yet, no matter how many times she tried to show Matt, or get Tom's attention, they only rolled their eyes and looked away as if she were mad. She wasn't usually one for being subtle, and it wouldn't be out of character for her to simply ask the couple about their relationship in a pub full of their staff and an audience of customers watching on also. But something about this felt different, something in the way they acted together made Steph stop her original plans to ask them outside across the table and in front of all the staff. It wasn't right, they were being too open. Steph was one to find out the gossip, to be the first one in the know, but she was second guessing herself due to just how obvious they were being. Maybe she was wrong, maybe she was thinking too much into things. She'd drunk herself into a fowl mood at the same time, frowning into her wine as she gulped it down and trying to take in any conversation that was happening around her.

Completely unaware of Steph's mood and inner turmoil, Eddie was facing struggles of his own. Rachel had seemed to take his idea in her stride, far too well for his liking, and had spent the past hours in the company of their staff but also secretly completely torturing him. She knew what she was doing, knew that her touches to the back of his neck or his knee would be driving him wild. The way she looked at him over her glass, her eyes sultry and a smirk on her lips, almost had him ordering them home that very minute. But with credit to himself, he managed to refrain from taking her hand in his and marching her out of the doors and into a waiting taxi. Each time he ignored her advances, she shot him a sly grin before pulling herself together and sitting slightly taller, only finding it all the more fun as she wondered what it was she could do next.

Watching him talk with Matt, she loudly declared she'd be getting the next round and enlisted the help of two English teachers to help her carry their drinks. She engaged them in general chit chat as they waited, making sure to flit her eyes over to Eddie at regular intervals and ensure he was still watching her. He was, she noticed with glee. Picking up their drinks, she walked back and placed them down before swiping her hand across his shoulders and taking her seat back next to him. "How much longer? I want to go home." She whispered to him, batting her eyelashes at him to emphasise her point.

He understood, because he always did with her. He couldn't take it any more, he avoided her eyes as he stood quickly, standing back from his seat and gesturing to her as he spoke. "We're off home." His words held no room for argument, not that she'd of ever tried. Her eyes were alright with mischief, a playful smile on her face as she said her goodbyes and followed Eddie out of the door before anyone else could comment.

The room was silent as they watched them leave, until finally, Steph had had enough. "Did you hear that? They said we. They said home! Why am I the only one hearing this?" She groaned in frustration, her arms flailing dramatically as she pointed in all directions. She received blank stares in return, and gave up as she sank back into her chair and took another gulp of wine.

"But, they've left their drinks?" All eyes turned to the untouched drinks of the table, before they looked back towards the door that the couple had escaped out of only minutes before. Steph let out a triumphant laugh as leant over the table to plant a kiss to Jasmine's cheek, glad that someone else had noticed.

The next morning, Eddie and Rachel were both in early so neither knew that in the car park, the staff were taking careful note that Rachel's car was nowhere to be seen, and that Eddie's was sat in a space that suggested he'd been in much earlier than he'd ever used to be.

"Tell me you lot see it now?" Steph practically begged, looking around the staffroom. Davina looked uncertain.

"But... they're both married?"

Grantley snorted. "And when has that ever stopped anyone around here?"

He cast a pointed look at Tom, who thankfully didn't notice, too busy trying to hold in his laughter and hide that he was doing so.

"Do you really think they would be so obvious about an affair?" Jasmine was questioning doubtfully, and Steph was practically tearing her hair out.

"They're not having an affair!"

"Steph, you're the one who's being going on for weeks about the pair of them!"

She let out short scream of frustration. The rest of the staff stared at her with wide eyes, and she took a deep breath. "Alright. From the top." She exhaled loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Eddie's wife is called Rachel. His wedding anniversary is May 30th. Rachel's wedding anniversary is May 30th. Rachel's husband is a maths teacher. Eddie is a maths teacher. They know each other's drink order without asking. They were close immediately after meeting. Eddie didn't mind being passed over for head. They flirt and arrive together and leave together and are you all really not getting this?"

Five minutes later across the school, Eddie and Rachel were watching Steph on Eddie's phone, both snickering at the poor woman. Eddie had been baffled when he received a video message from Tom while he was attempting to do the cover sheet- now he was making a mental note to buy the man a pint.

"I feel like we should put her out of her misery," he commented, "but at the same time, this is hilarious."

"For a group of clever people, they're being amazingly dumb."

He played with a strand of her hair. "I don't know, I can get their point. Who would ever think you'd agree to marry me?"

She rolled her eyes, flushing a furious red. "Shut up," she mumbled at him, turning pointedly back to their paperwork and ignoring the grin on his face.

"Just because it's true..."

"It won't be if you carry on!" She threatened jokingly. He grinned, sliding his arm around her waist until his hand could rest on her lower stomach.

"You can't get rid of me. Especially not if last night took."

Now, she stilled, her hand coming to rest over his as a small smile appeared on her face. "Do you think it did?"

"I think it's a nice thought to have until proven otherwise."

Her smile widened, and she leaned over to kiss him. "It certainly is."

Unfortunately, neither Eddie or Rachel could dwell on the staff's findings or their possible future child as Rachel was whisked away for a day spent in a prison with the likes of Bolton Smilie. He was a hard nut to crack, and she knew she needed him on side in order to get to the other challenging kids. However, that didn't mean Eddie liked it very much and hadn't tried to persuade her against it multiple times before she get off. "I just don't like it Rach, it's dangerous." He pleaded, multiple scenarios running through his mind as he imagined his wife locked up in a prison with rowdy teenagers. He knew these kids, knew what they were capable of.

Rachel rolled her eyes, half in amusement but half on her way to getting genuinely annoyed with him. She loved Eddie's protective side, loved how loved he truly made her feel. But it was also infuriating, especially when it came to her job. "I've survived worse than a day with Bolton Smilie, trust me." She wanted to do this, needed to try and build a rapport with him. With Bolton on side, Rachel's job could be made a hell of a lot easier. He'd be able to sway the others, an ally amongst the students that could hold so much power for her. She wanted to do good by him, determined not to lose another child to the life of gangs and crime before he'd reached his 18th birthday. "I'll be fine Eddie, stop worrying. I need to go, I love you." She kissed him briefly as she collected her bag and passed him, leaving her office to him for the day. She stopped when she felt his arm on her hand and turned back to face him.

"It's my job to worry, okay?" She smiled in agreement, knowing no words would change his mind anyway. He was a worrier, especially about her and Michael. She took it as a compliment, felt herself blush at his words. "I love you too." With that, the two parted ways and Eddie took a seat behind her desk, knowing that even though she hadn't been headteacher long, he'd have trouble filling her boots for even a day while she went away.

Thinking the worst of her opposition was over, Rachel was sadly mistaken when she approached Matt and saw his apprehensive face. She'd already filled him in on the entire day, went through the script word for word to ensure he was in the loop entirely. Yet still as she got closer, he greeted her with an "Are you sure about this?"

She found herself rolling her eyes, doing a headcount of the boys that stood in front of her before turning back to Matt with a look of exasperation on her face. "If one more person asks me that, I swear."

"Why? Who else?" He couldn't help but asking, wanting to know who Rachel had managed to speak to when they'd all been asked to come into school early in order to get a head start on the traffic. He knew the answer, but wanted to see if she'd give him the truth or once again dodge his questioning.

"Eddie of course." Matt didn't reply, chose instead to pocket the snippet of information for later, when he could feed it back to Steph and allow her to work with it. He wasn't a gossip, not really. He loved hearing about it, and had found comfort in having a friend like Steph on side in a place like Waterloo Road. But he felt uncomfortable digging into the life of his boss, however interesting he may find it.

Upon Rachel's return, she barely had time to fill Eddie in on her day before he was pressing a kiss to her lips and passing her on his way out of the door. "Anyone would think you're avoiding me." She commented quickly, catching him before he could leave her entirely. She'd missed him, having gotten used to seeing him at regular intervals throughout her day and looking forward to their stolen moments in her office. She knew it was pathetic, wondered where the strong independent woman had gone that she prided herself on being in the years during and after University. But she knew it wasn't a weakness, and had to remind herself of that thought whenever she caught herself.

"Of course not. It's Tom." Eddie interrupted her thoughts, feeling incredibly guilty all of a sudden for leaving her. He wanted to hear about her day, know all about the lives she'd changed when her idea had been a success. But Tom was in a blind panic, not knowing what to do about still keeping his stepdaughters in the dark about his new relationship. The two had become firm friends, with Tom leaning on Eddie when he was appointed not long after the death of Izzie.

Sensing his dilemma, Rachel smiled at him softly and ushered him further towards the door. "Get going, I'll tell you later. I'll start looking at birthday presents for Michael tonight." She offered, thinking that it would be a welcome distraction from sitting and waiting by the door for Eddie's return.

"Okay sweetheart, I'll text you when I'm coming home." Eddie kissed Rachel quickly by the door before dashing off to offer his services, knowing the quicker he got there then the quicker he could be on his way back to her.

Unbeknown to the both of them, Candeece had witnessed the exchange between the two. She'd come to thank Miss Mason on how Bolton had reacted on his return, wanted to personally exchange words with the woman who had caused the first hug she'd had with her son in years. Instead, she saw her bosses locking lips just outside of the office. Knowing she'd interrupted a private moment, she quickly turned and ran back before anyone caught her staring, wondering what exactly she was going to do with the information.

She had a slightly dazed look on her face, and when her name was called it took a couple of attempts before she looked up to find a concerned Miss Shackleton in front of her. "Candeece, are you alright?"

"Yeah…"

Davina looked doubtful. "You don't look it."

"I just…" she hesitated, chewing her lip. "I just saw Miss Mason and Mr Lawson kissing!"

Davina's jaw dropped at the blurt of information. Several beats passed, before she sighed. "Oh, Steph's going to be insufferable."

"I'm sorry?"

Candeece looked lost. "It's okay," Davina assured her hastily. "We're fairly certain they're married, they just didn't tell anyone."

The woman looked a bit baffled, but calmer about the whole thing and Davina hurried away to Jasmine's classroom, glad to find her still there. "You're not going to believe this!" she shut the door without even a greeting, causing her friend to give her a confused look. "Steph's only bloody right!"

Several hours later, Eddie snuck into the house much later than he'd planned to be, warmth spreading through him when he noted the lamp in the hallway had been left on, obviously for him. The rest of the house was in darkness, and when he crept upstairs he could just make out his wife's sleeping form through the dim light. As quietly as he could, he got himself ready for bed without turning a light on, and was just congratulating himself on his success when he misjudged a step and his toe hit the bedside cabinet.

The sound seemed so much louder in the silence of the house and he bit his tongue, swallowing the swear words that wanted to come out as his toe throbbed and he hit the bed harder than planned, jostling it and immediately freezing with a wince.

Rachel let out a laugh. "That was elegant."

He sighed. "Sorry. I was trying not to wake you."

"I heard you come in." She rolled over, waiting while he slipped beneath the covers so she could draw him closer. "How's Tom?"

"Ridiculous. He's so worried about what Chlo and Mika will think that he's making himself unhappy. Not to mention poor Davina."

She hummed. "I think she's got more fight in her than she's revealed. They'll be fine."

"I hope so. What happened at the prison today?"

She told him, and then followed up with the talk she'd had with Bolton. His jaw dropped lower and lower, until he was shaking his head in disbelief. "Only you, Rachel. I'd written him off, I think everyone has."

"Well, they were wrong to." She sounded satisfied. "He's more than the act he puts on. I think he'll start showing it a little more now."

"Only you," he repeated. Unseen in the darkness, she smiled.

The next morning, oblivious to what the staff had discovered the evening before the pair hurried in later than usual, the kids already filling the corridors and half the staff already in their classrooms- Rachel was on a time limit, while Eddie had been arguing on the phone with Alison for a good fifteen minutes already.

"I know we had him for a week! You dumped him on us! Why should that mean you get to keep him for longer than agreed?" he snapped down the phone, and Rachel glanced over with a frown. "For God's sake Alison, you have him more than half the time anyway! I'm not giving up the time I do get!"

"Calm down, Eddie," Rachel hissed at him as they climbed the stairs.

"Well, you do that! And when you do, maybe I'll apply for full custody instead!" he snapped the phone shut, and Rachel frowned at him.

"Eddie!"

"What? She threatened to take us to court!"

"So you threatened her back?" she looked exasperated. "At some point, you two are going to have to get along! For Michael's sake if nothing else!"

"So I'm supposed to just let her do what she wants?"

"Of course not! I just… look, we'll talk about it later okay? I have a lot to do."

She squeezed his hand before spinning and dashing towards her office, only to be waylaid before she even made it through the door. And felt her stomach fall through the floor when she heard why.

"Stuart Hordley?" she questioned weakly, and the man had the gall to smile charmingly at her.

Rachel felt herself shrink, finally faced with a man who held all of the power, when they'd never even met before now.

"That's me." He stood to greet her, and she kept up appearances for Bridget's sake as she shook his hand politely. All she ached to do was to slap her hand across his cheek, hard. But that would only bring more questions, ones she wasn't prepared to answer.

She thought on her feet quickly, wondering how she'd be able to get herself out of this situation and away from his company. "Have you got an appointment?" She knew he hadn't, would have recognised his name the previous day when she looked in her diary at her meetings.

"No, sorry. I just need a couple minutes of your time."

"Why?"

"The proposed new training centre. I put in a bid for it. Hordley Constructions?"

"Oh, okay, right. 5 minutes Mr Hordley."

"Please, call me Stuart. It's company policy." Rachel held back a shiver as she shut the door, aching to leave it open so she wouldn't be alone with the man. "I really appreciate you giving me this time, I know your job is probably like mine, spinning plates. Eyes in the back of your head?" From his words, Rachel knew that Tess hadn't mentioned their conversation. Suddenly, she felt herself standing taller. She had the power now, she knew what he was going to do, knew what he was going to use against her.

"I'll give you the same disclaimer as the others. I have no influence over the bids. I can give you information but the rest really is up to you."

"Yeah, well.. my bid was rejected. I found out yesterday, apparently I was way over budget."

Rachel felt herself smile, hoping that this would mean she wouldn't have to see him again. If his bid was rejected, he held no power. She couldn't do anything, it was already too late. "Oh, well. That's a shame."

"I'll just get to the point, shall I? I want you to do everything you possibly can to have my bid reinstated."

"Even if I wanted to, I can't do that. I'm only.."

"Involved in an advisory capacity. Yes, I do know how things work around here Rachel." He interrupted, and she resisted the attempt to roll her eyes. His condescending tone was doing him no favours, not that she'd do any for him anyway. The man made her skin crawl, the way he looked at her making her feel uneasy under his gaze.

"I think you need to talk to the committee about this, I can't help you."

"Yes, you can. And you will." At that, he placed down the paper and Rachel felt her heart sink. She didn't need to read it to know what it was, the words were already engraved in her memory. She could recite the words that changed her life over and over, without needing to read from the paper. Her agreeing to change her name, the start of her new life, the end of her disastrous past. How Stuart had obtained such a private and legal document, she didn't know. Tess hadn't mentioned this, only the article in which her face featured.

"You remember Tess Doyle, don't you? My secretary. She came to your school production. She saw your picture in the newspaper, Waterloo Road gets a new head. She didn't recognise the name, of course she wouldn't. But she's very good with faces. Do you know? I think Rachel really suits you. Tess didn't, but now that I've seen you in the flesh, I'd say it was a really good choice." It wasn't the way Tess had described the events taking place to her, and Rachel found herself wondering if she could trust the woman after all. However, given the way Stuart was acting, she knew he'd been blackmailing her too. He held both of their careers in the palm of his hand, using their pasts against them to get exactly what he wanted.

"So, this is what's going to happen. Your stock is very high in the LEA, they value your opinion. Your going to pick up the phone.."

"Your taking a very big risk. One phone call and you could be inside for blackmail." She was grasping at straws, but needed to gain the upper hand somehow. She'd been floored by the paper, the words she hadn't read for years hitting her hard and opening up past wounds that had long since closed.

"That's what entrepreneur's do Rachel. We take risks. It's my companies future against yours. A wrap on the knuckles for me, or humiliation, and the end of a glittering career for you. You wouldn't want to throw away everything you've worked so hard for, would you?"

"I have a husband, a son.. you can't do this." She was begging, she knew that. But she was desperate, thinking of Eddie and Michael as this man held her future in his hands. "I want you off the premises." Finally, she'd had enough. She would not let this happen, she stood quickly and walked towards the door, reminding herself that this was her school. She'd survived worse than a threat from a businessman, would not let him ruin years of her own hard work.

"Yes, you need time to consider. Only don't take too long. Oh, and you can keep that. There's more where that came from."

"Don't expect to see or speak to me again." Emerging from the office, Rachel had never been more relieved to see Eddie. "Eddie Lawson, my deputy. This is Stuart Hordley." She saw the realisation across his face and was eternally grateful that he had clicked on to her way of thinking. The less Stuart knew about her personal life, the better. Knowing they were married would give him another stick to beat her with, another thing to hold over her head and use against her. Plus, having Eddie onside and quietly in the know could be a real strength for them in getting past this.

"Hello." Eddie had to hold himself back from punching the man in front of him, gaze flicking over his wife as subtly as he could. She was tense, but holding it together and that he could at least be grateful for.

"Stuart's a developer," she was saying, and then somehow the man attempting to weasel his way into hanging around the school for the day, apparently oblivious to the icy tone Eddie as speaking with.

"Sorry," Eddie said apologetically, not meaning it in the slightest. "But you'd need clearance to sit in with the kids- child safety laws and all that."

"Of course."

Rachel didn't hear the rest of the conversation, but thankfully Hordley didn't seem to find it unusual that she'd become silent and unfocused, unable to concentrate on the two men in front of her. And then suddenly he was leaving, Eddie casting a reluctant glance at her before going with him and she practically stumbled back into her office, fumbling to shut the door behind her; she ended up leaning against it, fingers trembling and legs threatening to collapse beneath her.

She'd known it was coming, was relieved in some ways that the man had finally made his move but that didn't make this any easier, didn't take away the instinctive shame she felt when he looked at her and she knew he was imagining everything she'd done. God, he made her skin crawl.

She'd managed to collapse into her chair, head in her hands when she heard her door open again. The only person who walked in like that was Eddie- she looked up anyway, pale and shaky.

"I've left him with Jasmine," he said grimly, coming to sit opposite her. Her eyes widened.

"He's still here?"

He gave her a concerned look. "He wanted to get a feel for the training centre, remember? I couldn't figure out a way to get rid of him without tipping him off. Haven't ruled out decking him though," he muttered, and she looked alarmed.

"Eddie you mustn't!"

Now, he looked even more alarmed. "It was a joke, Rach…"

"Well, it wasn't funny!"

She buried her face in her hands, and he frowned, rising from his seat to come around the desk. "I'm sorry," he murmured, arm sliding around her shoulder. "I wasn't making light of it, I promise."

She leant into him. "I know. I just… Eddie, if you did, I'm not sure what he'd do."

He leant over to press a kiss to her head. As he straightened, the papers on the desk caught his eye, and he frowned. "Where did he get those?"

"I don't know." she sounded exhausted. "But Tess obviously didn't tell me everything."

"You think she's playing both sides?"

"Probably. Self-preservation at all costs is a hard habit to break."

Eddie only pressed another kiss to her head, unable to think of anything that would make this better. Rachel stayed pressed against him for a moment, before straightening. "You should go," she murmured. "We both have things to do, and I don't want that man wandering around my school unsupervised."

Rachel managed to stumble her way through the rest of the day, avoiding Stuart at all costs and spending most of it in her office. Using paperwork as her excuse, she left it as late as possible before showing her face at the interviews Stuart had set up to allow one of the older years some experience working with him. When she heard of his plans to stick around all day, she had to swallow the feeling of nausea and plaster a fake smile to her face, telling Jasmine she thought it was a great idea. As she planned to stay away for as long as possible, she hoped Eddie had the same idea as her. But she knew her husband, knew he'd have stuck around to ensure she didn't have to. So she was surprised to walk into the room and find him well and truly missing. "Where's Mr Lawson?" She asked the room, receiving blank looks in reply as she scanned their faces for answers.

"Haven't seen him for a while." One of the year 10's shrugged, going back to hanging onto every word that came from Stuart's mouth. Rachel knew she needed to get a handle of the situation, too many people were getting comfortable around him. Having one of her pupils working for him was a step too far for her, and she needed to work on stopping that situation before it escalated. She excused herself and found Eddie in his classroom, his planning spread in front of him as he made notes and changes across the papers. "I thought you were watching over the interviews?" She questioned softly, having stopped to admire his form for only a few moments.

Eddie caught her eye and his own shone with laughter, having caught her staring. He stood to approach her and wound his arms around her waist, pulling her too him and kissing her neck gently. "I know I promised not to punch him, but even i'd have trouble if I spent that long with him." He mumbled against her skin, knowing the best way to rectify the situation was to take himself away.

"Eddie.."

"That's why I'm here, because I cannot be around him. You're my wife Rachel." He emphasised his point with a kiss to the corner of her mouth, hoping she understood his need to not be in the same room as the man. He longed to ring his neck, had spent the few moments in his company dreaming of different ways to cut off his air supply. "All I want to do is protect you, and I can't while he's here." He knew it wasn't rational, knew it was a downside to working closely with your significant other. But he wouldn't have it any other way, much preferred his own turmoil compared to her having to face it alone.

"I get it." Rachel agreed, a slight blush to her cheeks at his admission. "If roles were reversed, or if Michael were in trouble, I'd be the same. But just know.. I admire you much more for walking away than if you'd of decked him." She lightened the mood, knowing they would be needed back soon and didn't fancy anyone coming to find them in their current position.

"You can show me how much later." He added cheekily, before walking her to the door and opening it for her before they got themselves in further trouble.

The pair entered the room side by side, both feeling stronger just in the presence of the other and arrived just as the winner was announced, with Bolton standing up to accept the offer of work with glee. "Ah man, this is the best news." He clapped hands with Paul and shook Mr Hordley's hand before turning to face his two teachers, a smirk on his face. "Even better than my mum telling me she saw Miss Mason and Mr Lawson kissing in their office."

They both froze.

There were a few beats of dead silence, before the room erupted. Eddie spun to exchange a single glance with Rachel amongst the chaos, identical thoughts running through their heads as they realised that they had been so wrapped up with the staff finding out, the idea of the students doing so hadn't occurred to them.

Rachel recovered first, the consummate profession, moving forwards a few steps to casually lean on the table and raised her eyebrows at Bolton. "It's a shame you don't put half as much effort into school as you do to gossiping, Bolton. We'd have you passing everything in no time."

He shrugged, beginning to look sheepish and she rolled her eyes. She turned her head to look towards the rest of the kids, but as she did movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention and her gaze landed on Hordley, whose gaze was flicking between her and Eddie, a smug smirk playing across his lips. Her stomach dropped. His eyes met hers and he tilted his head slightly, the smirk growing.

She narrowed her gaze at him, ice washing through her. The two things in the world guaranteed to raise her hackles were her kids and her family- he was already involved with former, she'd wouldn't allow him anywhere near the latter.

The kids were still making noise, and she stood, coming forward and raised her fingers to her mouth, letting out a piercing whistle. "That's enough!"

"But miss, were you really kissing?"

Eddie's tongue finally caught up with the rest of him, and he shot a look towards the girl who had spoken. At least Bolton's little revelation had stopped them all being too pissed off, he thought resignedly. "This may surprise you, Michaela, but that's what married couples do. Now don't you all have somewhere to be?"

The room exploded yet again, on a quieter level this time, as they began to usher the kids out, deftly side-stepping anymore questions. Bolton hung towards the back, glancing towards Eddie who got the message and followed him out, stopping just outside the door as the group dispersed. "Bolton?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Er…" he rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I probably shouldn't have done that."

"Well, at least you have enough brain to admit it."

The boy winced, and Eddie sighed. "Look, it wasn't yours to tell. But it's not like we were keeping it a secret, just keeping it quiet. Everyone would have found out anyway… it's just sooner rather than later."

"Sorry sir. I'll apologise to Miss Mason too…" he glanced towards the door, and Eddie felt slightly sick when he realised he'd left Rachel alone with Hordley.

"I'll tell her," he said hastily. "Go on, off you go."

He didn't wait for a reply, just quickly re-entered the room where one glance at Rachel told him she wasn't okay. Nausea ran through him, but before he could even say anything she noticed his entrance and smiled an empty, insincere smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to catch Bridget before she leaves for the day."

Message received, he thought, watching as she hurried out and against every other instinct he had, resisted pinning the man in front of him to the wall.

It took him a matter of minutes to shake him off, but yet another phone call from Alison delayed him and the school was empty by the time he'd managed to make it to Rachel's office. She seemed off, he noted, as he relayed what his ex-wife had said, and looked at her questioningly. "Is this about Hordley?"

She gave a sharp nod.

"Look love, it was just for today. He knows now you're serious about not making that phone call- we just have to wait for him to-,"

"I already made the phone call." she cut over him quickly, and brought him up short.

"What?"

"I made the call. I convinced them to look at his bid again."

He was silent for a long moment. "What in God's name possessed you to do that?"

His tone was low and angry, and her own anger flared. "The fact that he threatened Bolton!"

"Bolton?"

"Yes! The boy you apparently told him I had put so much work into! That's why he gave him the job! Because if I don't do as he wants, he won't only bring me down but Bolton too!"

Eddie felt defeated, like he'd spent all of the day fighting for Rachel to only give to instantly. There were other ways around it, solutions they could have come up with had they discussed it together. He sat himself down on the sofa, needing space away from her as he fumed over her actions. "Do you know what you've done?" He asked, not waiting for an answer before continuing. "If this happens, there's no getting rid of him. What do we do when he's here? Every.. single.. day?" He emphasised each word to reiterate his point, hoping to make Rachel see sense even though the damage was already done.

"What's the alternative Eddie? Let him get to the kids too? They didn't ask for this."

"Neither did you Rachel. For gods sake, you didn't ask for this either! We could have done something-"

"What? What could we have done?" She interrupted him on his speech before he tried to guilt trip her any further, before he made any more promises that were entirely above him. "He's won Eddie, he's already won." Rachel felt the fight drain from her as soon as the words left her mouth, and she sagged back against her chair as the tears filled her eyes.

Eddie relented immediately, moving across the room and bringing her into his arms. She sighed against his chest and he felt her shake slightly, a sure sign that she was close to completely snapping. "He hasn't won anything, don't say that. Where's the fight gone?" He hated what was happening to her, hated how much she was having to face. This was meant to be her dream role, something she'd wanted for as long as the both of them could remember. Instead, she'd been dealt with the task of hiding their relationship, her past coming back to haunt her in the worst of ways and the added pressure of his ex-wife throwing custody threats at them left, right and centre.

"I don't know if I can, I can't let this school suffer for my mistakes." Her voice had never sounded so small to him, a sure sign that she was close to the point of no return. Eddie needed to act fast, to give it his all if he wanted to persuade her that she was making a mistake.

Eddie turned her to face him, lifting her face by putting his fingers beneath her chin and lifting until their eyes met, a determined glint in his eyes. "You can fight. And if you really can't, then I'll fight enough for the both of us."

"Why does it need to be a fight Eddie? There will be other schools."

His anger was returning, no matter how much he didn't want it to. "Now you're just being ridiculous." He loved how stubborn she was, had fallen in love with her passion from the very moment they had met. But now, it was getting on his last nerve. He felt like she'd already given up, the towel well and truly already thrown in no matter what he had to say to her.

"Am I? Don't you want our quiet life back? You, me and Michael. That's all I care about, I'm sick of looking over my shoulder and being scared I'll see Stuart Hordley."

"I want you here, with me, in your school. I want Hordley gone from our lives. I'm going to make that happen." He was determined, walking away from her once more as he thought of different ways he could rectify the situation. He needed to act fast, needed to try and work out Hordley's next move now he had the information about their relationship to use against her also.

"How? You'll make it worse."

Eddie stopped in his tracks at Rachel's words, feeling like he'd been hid in the face. "I certainly wouldn't give into him like you have Rach." He was clutching as straws, but desperate to make her see sense.

The raised voices would have stopped anyone from entering the room, but Steph Haydock was not deterred. She would have stopped to eavesdrop if she wasn't so angry, but instead threw the door open and watched as two faces turned to her.

"Tom knew?" She screamed the question, steam practically pouring from her ears as she narrowed her eyes at the couple, not stopping to wonder why they were feet apart and out of breath from arguing. "Tom bloody Clarkson knew you two were married before I did, are you having a laugh?"

Whatever reaction Steph was expecting, it wasn't for Rachel to begin laughing. Both other occupants of the room looked around to stare at her as her hand came over to cover her mouth, trying to suppress the giggles but when she glanced up and saw the expressions on their faces, any composure she might have maintained was lost.

"Rach?" Eddie looked concerned, more than a little bemused at his wife suddenly becoming semi-hysterical.

She waved her free hand at him, almost bent double by the force of her laughter. Steph was looking between them uncertainly, taken aback to the point all her previous emotion had fizzled out. Eddie moved closer, touching his wife's wrist. "Rachel?"

She looked up, and he was startled to see tears in her eyes. "How is it possible that just a few weeks ago our biggest concern was what people would think of me being your wife?"

His gaze softened. "Steph, if you wouldn't mind giving us a minute." He didn't even look around at the blonde. For a moment, he thought she was going to argue but then without a word she withdrew from the room, closing the door behind her. Rachel had sobered, but now she was choking back tears and Eddie personally thought that was worse.

"He wants me to fix the bidding so he gets the contract," she whispered. "Eddie, it would be one thing for him to threaten me. But he's threatening you, the school, Bolton. He knows exactly which buttons to push."

"That's not true…"

"Isn't it?" she looked up at him, stark fear in her eyes. "One meeting, and he not only discovered Bolton, but he engineered a situation where he could gain control over him and therefore me. In less than six hours, Eddie. What happens when he finds out about Michael and Alison? One of other kids? He has me over a barrel and he knows it."

"That doesn't mean you play along!" he exclaimed. "It means you fight!"

"Fight how?" she demanded. "I have nothing to fight with! Eddie, don't you see? I can't even run! Even if I resign, you're the next head and all he'll do is start threatening Michael and me to get to you!"

She could see by the look on his face that this hadn't occurred to him yet.

"If I don't do as he asks, he won't just ruin me, he'll ruin you, and Bolton and this school and anything else he thinks will make me do what he wants! And he'll be right because there are some things I won't risk and he knows all of them!"

"Then we go to the police!"

She gaped at him. "Are you insane?"

"We have to do something, Rachel!"

"I am doing something! I've got his bid back in the pot and I'll fight to get it accepted and then I'll hope to God he's satisfied and won't want anything else!"

"You can't do that!"

"You can't stop me!" They were glaring at each other, breathing hard and anger etched into their faces. After a few beats of silence, Rachel spoke again, her tone low and dangerous. "I will not allow him to harm anything or anyone I care about, Eddie. Even if it means I gain your disapproval."

"And what about him harming you?"

She smiled bitterly. "I'm living with far worse things I've done- what's one more to add to the pile? Now I believe Steph is probably waiting for us."

Eddie resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead following his wife to the door and stopping her before she could open in. "Fine, but this isn't over." He was still going to fight, with her or even for her if it was needed. He wasn't losing to Stuart Hordley. But they needed each other now as they faced the staff, so he dropped a kiss to her cheek and placed a hand at the small of her back as she opened the door to once again greet Steph.

"Time to face the music I'm guessing?" Rachel commented from beside him, and he was pleased to look over and see the hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

Steph huffed and folded her arms in protest, raising her head to the sky like a child having a tantrum. "We're all in the staff room." She added, before swiftly walking towards the room and hoping they were following her. They shared a look of pure amusement before falling into step behind her, Eddie moving his arm to rest around her waist as they did so.

Entering the staff room, all talk seemed to stop on their arrival. True to Steph's word, it looked as though all staff had chosen to stay behind after work and gather in hopes of hearing the truth from their boss. Rachel resisted the need to roll her eyes as they all turned to face her and Eddie, who stood side by side at the front of the room.

"I wasn't entirely truthful when I started, but I had my reasons."

"So you're married?" She wasn't sure who asked the question, but it was thrown at them from the back of the room.

"Yes, me and Eddie are married. Very happily, actually."

"So why lie?"

"Because I didn't want it to be any harder on either of us. If I started here as Eddie's wife, I'd never be seen as my own person. I started my career long before I got married, and I just wanted you all to see that."

"It was my idea. Rachel is private, would have hated nobody really asking about her and only focusing on us. She deserved this time, she's done so we'll to get to where she is." The truth shone in Eddie's eyes and Rachel used the revelation to take advantage of the situation and move more firmly against his side, pressing herself against him to show her appreciation.

Eddie didn't know how Rachel would take the news, couldn't help but wonder if the staff knowing would cause her to retreat into herself and only show herself as the height of professionalism. So he was thrilled to learn she seemed unaffected, was even more so open now the news was out. "We're sorry for lying, but now the news is out so tomorrow, first round is on us."

Steph looked at them with wide eyes, an unimpressed look still gracing her face. "Are you not coming tonight? I have questions."

Rachel locked eyes with her, smirking slightly at the woman in question before turning to face Eddie. "Not tonight Steph, we need a quiet night in." She was grateful that she was finally able to tell the truth, not having to think of two different excuses and what stories they were sticking to for that particular evening. She knew they probably should have said more, had probably left their staff with more questions than they originally had; but Rachel was emotionally drained after her day and longed to curl up on the sofa. She ached for a glass of wine, but had fallen down the rabbit hole of googling remedies to help her fertility chances, so wine was currently off the menu. It seemed like a lifetime ago that her and Eddie were lay in bed discussing nursery paint colours, and she longed for the simplicity that came with such tasks.

Instead of stopping to answer any more questions, Eddie registered the look in Rachel's eyes and simply took hold of her hand before walking her back out of the room. They left behind their bemused staff, who felt they now had more questions even though they'd received the answer they had wanted.

The drive home was silent, with Rachel choosing to look out of the window instead of engage her husband in conversation. She was bracing herself for their argument to continue, and Eddie refuse to allow himself to feel guilty. He needed her to understand, needed to try and get a mutual understanding between them both for them to continue. The car pulled up and neither made a move to get out, choosing to sit in silence until the other relented. "When will you stop punishing yourself for your past Rach?" Eddie finally broke the quiet, turning to face her and taking hold of her hands.

"When people stop trying to punish me for it in my present." She didn't mean it to sound so flippant, but still ached to be in the comfort of her home and away from the stress of the day.

Eddie pulled on her hands and tipped her chin towards him, his eyes showing the sincerity there as he willed her to listen. "I'm not punishing you, I never would. I'm trying to help you, I'm on your side."

Her anger was melting with each word he spoke, so she touched their foreheads together and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I know. But you shouldn't be, there shouldn't be a side."

"Yet there is, and I choose yours."

She nuzzled into him, fingers threading through his hair. "I hate fighting with you."

"I hate fighting with you too. Let's stop."

She smiled slightly. "Nice thought. But I don't see how- we're never going to agree."

He sighed. "Maybe we should just agree to disagree."

She gave a sharp nod, pulling away and climbing out the car. He groaned. "Rachel..." He followed her, just remembering to lock the car behind him. She'd already dug out her keys, letting herself into the house before he'd even caught up. "Rachel," he repeated.

"Leave it Eddie."

"Didn't we just say we didn't want to fight?"

She toed her shoes off, kicking them to the corner with a thud. "We're not fighting. I'm walking away."

"Would you stop being so childish?"

"Childish?" She whirled around, and he was stunned to see tears running down her cheeks. "I'll give you childish! You're so self-righteous, you can't even admit I might be right!"

"How can bowing down to the likes of Stuart Hordley ever be right?" he demanded.

"There isn't an alternative!" She yelled back. "What do you think is going to happen if I don't do as he wants? I don't have a choice here!"

"You're not looking for one! You're rolling over like you're his pet and he's your master!"

He actually saw her eyes darken, fury flashing across her face and her hands fisted and for a moment, he wondered if she was going to lash out at him. "Well then," she said lowly, "if you think so little of me, you can leave."

"Excuse me?"

"Leave, Eddie. Get out."

He scoffed disbelievingly as she turned her back towards him. "Not going to happen."

"GET OUT!" She whirled, hands coming up to shove at his shoulders. "GO! I don't want to do this anymore! Just leave!"

He was so surprised he allowed her to push him back a few steps, before his brain caught up and he grabbed her wrists, holding them in the air. She fought him, tears streaming down her face, sobbing almost incoherently.

"Rachel..."

"GET OUT!"

"Never." He used his grip on her wrists to yank her forward, mouth clashing against hers. The momentum spun them so that he could pin her against the wall, one leg between hers, kissing her with every ounce of anger and rage and helplessness he was feeling. The hands that had been pushing him away were all of sudden pulling him closer, tugging almost painfully at his hair and his shirt, desperation in her every movement. "Never," Eddie growled again against the pulse point at her throat, and was rewarded by his wife's fingers digging into his shoulders almost painfully.

Hours later, the pair lay together on the floor of the living room, covered by only a throw Eddie had, at some point, grabbed from the sofa. The emotions had subsided, and Rachel was now almost too quiet, still and almost stiff in his arms. "Talk to me?" He requested, voice soft so as not to break the peace they'd created.

There was a few beats of silence, and he half wondered if she was asleep.

"I don't know what to do."

He'd never heard her sound so defeated. Instinctively, his arms tightened around her, drawing her closer to him. "We'll work it out," he promised. She shifted so that she could look up at him.

"I can't let him harm someone else because of my mistakes, Eddie. I just can't. It would destroy me."

And right there was the truth of it, he thought. Rachel would always care more for others than herself, would always put the welfare of the children in her care above all else. And hadn't he fallen in love with her for it?

"I know," he conceded. "We'll find another way. There must be one. Maybe some way to stop him getting the bid, but make it look like it couldn't possibly be your fault."

"Do you really think that'll be enough?"

The honest answer was no. But he would certainly try, anything to rid Rachel of the panicked vulnerability she was desperately trying to hide. "I don't see why not," he lied, and was grateful she was tucked against him in a way that she couldn't see his face.

The next day, Rachel woke to the sound of tapping on laptop keys. She wasn't even aware that they'd moved back to their bedroom, but woke snuggled against the covers and against Eddie's side. She opened one eye as a way to combat the feeling of being awake and found her husband sat bolt upright, typing away on his laptop beside her. "What are you doing?" She asked groggily, still hoping to fall back to sleep and catch a few more hours after this conversation.

Rachel's voice startled Eddie, and he quickly shielded his screen as a defense mechanism. Realizing resisting was futile, he rolled his eyes and put the laptop down, burrowing back against the covers and gathering Rachel in his arms. "I was looking at Stuart's companies, doing some research." He admitted, sleep evading him whenever he closed his eyes and saw his wife's terrified eyes. It was his job to protect her, he needed to ensure she was out of harms way as far as he could help it.

Rachel was touched by the sentiment, but this is what she was afraid of. She didn't was Stuart invading every aspect of her life, which definitely included her husband sat bolt upright in the early hours of the morning while he searched for clues. "Get some sleep Eddie, we'll think of something when it's not 4am hm?" She practically begged, prizing the laptop from his hands and putting it onto the floor beside her.

He agreed and soon settled once more, mind not at rest but content to simply hold her having been caught in the act. His thoughts continued to race as he lay still but soon, the gentle sound of her even breathing sent him back to his own dream where Stuart Hordley wouldn't bother them or harm them in any way.

Weeks seemed to pass without incident, and Rachel let herself fall back into the role she loved so much. The arrival of Stuart the morning of the meeting was something she could have done without, but she had preempted his presence. It was the day for her to go and fight for the bid she wanted accepted for the school, so she knew he'd be in attendance to ensure she was keeping up her end of their deal. Bridget seemed shocked to see him, and Rachel had to swallow down the lump in her throat as she allowed him to be let in her office. She longed to keep the window open, to not be stuck in a confined space with only him for company. But that would mean Bridget heard their conversation, and she was sure that Stuart would not hold back on his threats even if he did have an audience.

He walked in with a smug smile on his face, one that Rachel longed to punch. Or even better, get Eddie to punch. Her husband would delight in the opportunity to take swing at his face, and it was a scenario she envisioned happening right now just to keep her sane. "Hi, I'm glad I caught you before the big meeting."

She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, wondering if she should feel frozen with fear to laugh at the bizarre situation. "One last chance to twist the knife?" She couldn't resist her comment, even if it was going to rile him up further and give him further opportunity to provoke her.

"Don't be so melodramatic. I just wanted to check in with you and make sure we're both singing from the same hymn sheet." There it was, the reminder of all that he kept over her as he walked around her office.

"I don't have a choice." Rachel offered weakly, not sure why she was even trying to persuade him to relent. He didn't care about her, or her feelings. His only job was to get what he wanted, and he was doing a blinding job of it.

"Of course you do. You can follow your conscience and back whichever bid you like." Stuart claimed with a shrug to his shoulders, before turning to her and meeting her state dead on. "But of course, if you do then I'll have to follow my conscience and tell everyone that their beloved headteacher is not quite the woman that she says she is. It's not easy keeping a secret like that, is it?" He joked, knowing there was no way that she'd allow him to tell the world. She held too much pride, had come so far to have it crash around her. No respectable woman would be able to stay in any form of educational job with a past like that being public knowledge, and it was that weakness that Stuart prayed on.

"Do you know, the ironic thing is I would have probably backed your bid anyway, without all this."

"Well there you go then. It's no big deal, everyone is happy. How is Mr Mason, by the way?"

"Leave Eddie out of this," she warned, and hated the way he smirked knowingly.

"He does know about your past, doesn't he Amanda? Surely you wouldn't marry someone, expose his son to you without telling him such a big secret?"

"Stay away from my family!" Her hands fisted, helpless fury running through her veins. He chuckled.

"My my, Amanda. Holding two careers in your hands- what a big responsibility. After all, if it ever came out, his career..."

"Stop it."

"Not to mention your marriage," he continued softly. "I suppose, however, at least that little boy you're so fond of isn't old enough to remember you."

"Stop it!" Her voice rose, nails digging into her palms. "Haven't you done enough?

"I'm not doing anything. The ball's in your court- stick to our deal, and your secret will remain exactly that. Secret."

He left with a pointed look but without another word; Rachel stayed where she was, gulping shaky breaths as she attempted to calm herself.

Eventually, she stopped her fingers from shaking but the fury remained hot inside her. A reluctant, defiant idea had begun to form- she just wasn't sure she was brave enough to go through with it. As the bell rung a little while later, she moved out of her office and down into the main part of the school, where the kids were rushing around, laughter and shouts echoing down the corridors. Bolton and Paul dashed past, jostling each other while Janeece and Maxine walked arm in arm, heads close together. A pair of year sevens she didn't recognise skipped hand-in-hand, giggling wildly and blushing red when they spotted her. She smiled kindly, wandered past them into the playground.

She wrapped her arms around herself against the breeze, heart aching.

"Rach?"

Eddie had come up behind her, frowning in concern. Her head dipped slightly, but she didn't turn and his hand came to rest on the small of her back, worry creasing his face. She leant back into his touch, resolve settling into her stomach. "I'm not going to do it," she said softly.

He frowned. "Do what?"

"Back Stuart's bid."

Eddie's jaw dropped open. "What? Since when?"

"Since he came into my office and threatened you and Michael." Now, she turned, hands coming to rest on his chest. "I'm not doing it. I'm not helping him earn money, progress his business. I won't do it."

Fire burnt in her eyes, and while he couldn't deny he was glad to see his fiery wife in action, concern was still welling through him. "He'll tell everyone," he reminded her softly. Her jaw clenched.

"Let him."

He couldn't stop the stunned look from crossing his face. "But..."

"I know," she assured him through the lump in her throat. "I know what I'll lose. It's breaking my heart. But I'll survive it. And we have enough saved up that we could manage with me being a stay at home Mum for a few years. I can think of worse things."

His brain short-circuited. "Wait. Stay at home Mum? Are you...?" He glanced towards her stomach, and for the first time she smiled.

"Maybe," she confessed softly. "I haven't done a test or anything. But I was due to start Monday, and... well..." She shrugged pointedly, and he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face.

"Rachel..."

She stood on tiptoes to brush a kiss across his lips. "I know."

"Are you sure this isn't influencing your decision any?" He questioned, and she shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe. But I am sure of this I won't bow down to Stuart bloody Hordley. Despite the consequences."

And so Rachel went off to her meeting, a determined glint in her eye as she sat across governors and stakeholders alike. She was thinking of the worst case scenario, knew that if that's what she imagined then anything else that happened would be almost easy to deal with. She smiled as she listened, waiting her turn until her input was asked. She knew another member of the board was favoring a particular bid, but she turned a blind eye and deciding to let him go ahead. He was clearly dealing with his own demons, and she was passed the point of caring with contract bids. If anything, she wasn't even sure she wanted a training centre for her school anymore, it had brought more bad than good since the moment it was mentioned. "So what is it you think Ms Mason?" She was asked, and turned her full attention to the sea of eyes she found looking back at her. She wondered how long ago she stopped listening, when it was that her attention had swayed from their voices. She turned to them and showed her look of exasperation, faced with pages of different bids and numbers swimming in her vision.

"I honestly can't tell you. I know that you'll make the best choice, my expertise do not lie with choosing businesses I'm afraid." She replied honestly, grateful that she was able to scrap her idea of needing to back Hordley as she would have looked a fish out of water. "I just want what's best for my school."

"Stop." A voice stopped any other from speaking, and continued to travel through the room as they entered. "I just want to say something." The entire room turned to the new voice at once, and Rachel felt her throat close up when she caught sight of Tess. This was it, the moment her world crashed around her. She readied herself, taking a large gulp of air and imagining Eddie and his calming presence beside her. "Please don't back Hordley Constructions. He's been blackmailing me for months."

A loud gasp escaped Rachel's lips, and if it weren't for the woman stood in front of them all who had their attention. she was sure she'd have turned a few heads. The head of the table stood, and Rachel assumed he had the intention of removing her from the premises but she continued speaking before he got the chance to move her away. "Whatever he wants, don't give it him because it'll never be enough." She practically begged, and Rachel stood herself as she noticed the tears swimming in Tess' eyes.

"I think we need to rearrange, don't you gentlemen?" She was met with sounds of agreement, and swiftly moved across the room to place her arm around Tess and move her from the room. To anyone else, she looked like a concerned woman who wanted to take another out of a bad situation. But it was more than that, so much more beneath the surface.

Tess was shaking as Rachel took hold of her, allowed herself to be escorted out of the room at long last. She glanced back at the door on her way out, the door she had spent so long staring at before she plucked up the courage to enter. "What happens now?" She asked, scared of the answer as they both settled on the steps outside the building.

Rachel wished she had the answers, but she wasn't sure if Tess really had achieved what she aimed to do with her arrival. "We'll arrange another meeting I'm sure." It still needed to be discussed, and Tess could just be passed off as talking nonsense.

"Well take this then. Documents, emails, text conversations. It's proof, use it Rachel." She presented a large brown envelope, and Rachel looked at it is if it were a lifeline. It was, in a way, and she wanted to grab it with both hands.

But she was apprehensive. No matter how elated she was with the turn of events, there was still a woman here who had just put her life potentially at risk by doing what she had. "Tess, he'll come after you now."

"I'm leaving, right now. He'll know it was me and he'll try to find me but I'm going away, I've been saving. You're safe, your job is safe. Please, take this."

Rachel took hold of the folder and met the woman's eyes, tears shining with gratitude. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me." Subconsciously, Rachel's hand moved to her stomach and although the action was ignored by Tess, Rachel allowed herself a moment for the happiness to seep through.

"Stuart came back to the office the other day, convinced your husband didn't know about your past," Tess said softly. "But..."

"He knows," Rachel confirmed softly. "He's always known."

"You told him?"

Rachel nodded curtly. "I was marrying him. He deserved to know the truth."

Tess looked wistful, and slightly bitter. "When I first saw you were married, I was so sure he couldn't know the truth. That there wasn't a man in the world who would be okay with what we were."

"Eddie's... I'm lucky to have him." Rachel settled on.

"He doesn't just love Rachel Mason, he loves Amanda Fenshaw too. I'd say you're pretty damn lucky."

But Rachel was shaking her head. "He just loves me," she said. "Rachel, Amanda, any other name in the world. It doesn't matter. I have no idea what I did to deserve it, but he doesn't see the name or the things I did. He just sees me."

"You're so sure of him."

"Yes," she answered simply.

"What if you're wrong?" Tess challenged. "What if one day he wakes up and decides he doesn't want an ex-prostitute any more?"

Her words were spoken from jealousy and bitterness, intended to sting, but Rachel only smiled slightly. "Tess, Eddie doesn't love me despite my past. It's not something he merely looks past or tolerates. I have no idea how, but he accepts it, who I was and everything I did and everything I've done since then. There is an awful lot I'm not sure of, but Eddie? I know him. He loves me, and all that encompasses."

Tess was silent for a long moment. "I hope I find that one day."

"I hope you do too."

Upon her return to school, Rachel had planned to ask about the work experience day and how the school had managed without her. However upon entering her office and finding Eddie there, she couldn't resist practically jumping into his arms and placing a hard kiss to his lips as soon as he'd stood to greet her.

If he was shocked, he didn't show it. He simply kissed her back with equal enthusiasm and held her against him whilst trailing his fingertips down her spine. He'd barely gotten any work done in her absence, after her parting words and the hope that she had built in sharing with him their potential news. He'd only managed to pull it together when he heard from the museum and went on his way to sort out Janeece and get her settled into another work placement alongside Maxine. When air became necessary, Eddie pulled back only slightly by kept his arms around his wife. "How did it go?" He asked tentatively, not wanting to ruin the mood but needing to know exactly what had happened when she'd left him earlier.

Rachel hoped her smile answered for her, but she knew he'd need more than that. She walked them both over to the sofas and sat down as close to him as possible, entwining their fingers and she held Eddie's hands in her lap. "Tess turned up."

Eddie froze, turning to her with worry etched on his features as he asked her for some more clarification. "What?"

Rachel shrugged, unsure if she felt too happy with the days events or numb with thinking it still couldn't be the end. It felt too easy, surely Stuart wouldn't just simply accept Tess' words and move on? "Told the room not to back Stuart, that he was blackmailing her. I've got a folder full of proof from her for the next meeting." She fished the envelope out of the bag and placed it on the table in front of her, aware that the contents held a lifeline for her. "She's gone now. Got on a plane and got away from him."

"And it was all her idea?" He has to ask, he was still dubious about it all. It seemed too good to be true, like everything was finally going her way for once.

"It was all her."

He couldn't believe his ears, incredibly grateful for a woman he had openly resented only this morning. "You're free?"

"I think so."

Eddie wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him, pressing a soft kiss to her hair as he let out a long breath that he didn't even know he was holding. "Maybe not so much stay at home mum then." He trailed his other hand down to her stomach, tentatively letting it rest there as he finally allowed the hope to build inside of him.

"I'm not sure, I quite like the sound of it. We'll have to make sure first though, before we make any solid plans." Rachel turned her head towards him, happiness radiating from her as she joined her hand with his. This was all she wanted, all she'd asked for in the years since meeting her husband. She had longed for this happiness for many years, dreamt of this very moment for as long as she could remember. She was scared, terrified really, for the both of them after their precious experiences. But that couldn't overshadow the overwhelming joy she felt when she thought of the possible life hopefully growing inside of her.

"Let's go and do that then."

She grinned, leant over to slid her hand into her bag and withdrew a certain box to show it to him. "Way ahead of you."

"When did you get that?"

"On my way back here."

He bit his lip. "You ready?"

"More than. It might not be accurate," she warned, "you're supposed to wait two weeks."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I can be patient if you can."

She made a face, rising to her feet and placing the box back in her bag. "I'll be right back."

He chuckled lightly- he'd known she wouldn't want to wait. He watched the clock anxiously- it was a minute to the bathroom, maybe three minutes in there and a minute back? So that was five, no better make it six minutes.

As the clock ticked around to ten, he was already pacing anxiously around the office, hand tapping against his thigh. Where was she?

At fifteen, he was about ready to go and track his wife down himself, female toilets or not. He'd even spun towards the door to do so, when he heard soft footsteps approaching and finally, Rachel appeared in the doorway. He'd taken a step towards her, when he noticed the odd look on his face and his stomach dropped. Had something else happened on the journey to the bathroom? "What's wrong?"

She shook her head slightly, raising shocked eyes to meet his. "It's positive."

"What?"

"It's positive," she repeated, louder. "Eddie, I'm pregnant."

For one, long moment, they could only stare at each other. And then Eddie was striding across the room, scooping her into his arms and kissing her fiercely. She giggled against him, hands cupping his face to pull him closer. "We're going to be parents," he whispered, lips brushing against hers as they formed words. She laughed, pure joy in her tone as she kissed him again.

"We're going to be parents," she agreed, and yelped in laughter as he swung her through the air.

Once her feet had found the ground again, her hand came to rest over her lower stomach and Eddie's covered it lightly, both of them grinning stupidly. "No regrets?" She checked, and he shook his head.

"Never." He bent down, brushed his lips over hers yet again before sliding his arms around her, holding her as if he'd never let go.

Of course, eventually he'd had to, reluctantly leaving his wife to go and teach year nines. She remained in her office, allowing herself the luxury of sipping her herbal tea on the sofa before she had to return to work, hand occasionally drifting down to cover her stomach. She'd have to make sure it didn't become a habit, she thought, or she'd never keep it quiet from the kids. And she didn't think she could take a whole nine months of jokes and quips from them. Not to mention what would happen if history repeated itself.

She grimaced, steering her thoughts firmly away from that particular train of thought. She had no desire to go there.

Her phone rang, and she found herself grateful for the distraction. "Rachel Mason."

"Amanda."

Ice pooled within her. "Stuart."

"If I find out you've had anything to do with this, your life will be over." His words were spat at her through the receiver, and she could feel the anger that was radiating in him through his voice.

She didn't know what had transpired since she'd returned, had no idea if Tess had succeeded in her plan to get away as she was simply too caught up in her own bubble of happiness with Eddie. "How could I have known?" She decided to brush it off, to tell the truth and hoped he believed her.

"You must have, she's not clever enough."

Rachel found herself rolling her eyes, knowing that Stuart would not have assumed Tess to be the one to confront him. It's probably why he went after her in the first place, he saw her weakness and prayed on it. "I wouldn't underestimate her. Where is she now?"

"Who knows, but I'll find her. And trust me, if you were part of this, I'll ruin you."

For some reason, his threats hit a nerve and she found herself sitting bolt upright in her chair and clutching her phone to her ear as if it could hurt him in some way. "Now listen here-"

She didn't have time to even begin her words to him as he cut her off, his voice menacing as she had no choice but to listen. "No, you listen. I know where you work, where you live. I know where that kid of yours goes to school. I wouldn't cross me Rachel, not now. Not ever."

He slammed the phone down before she could reply, not that she'd be able to if she tried. She was too taken back by the mention of Michael, of just how much work Stuart had put into ruining her life. But little did he know, that the small mention of her stepson was a step too far for her. Her job, her career, her degree; absolutely nothing came close to making sure Michael was safe at all times. She'd put her life on the line for him, so her past coming to light was a small price to pay for his safety. Just as she had felt the moment the words came up on the earlier pregnancy test, she felt an overwhelming rush of protection as she began to gather her thoughts of how she was to proceed with her next steps. Tess had done the hard word, had stopped his bid gaining power so he wouldn't be a bother at the school for years to come. She had the proof of that in a folder that was now safely locked away in a drawer under her desk, but that wasn't enough to cover her. She needed evidence of him blackmailing her, something to take to the police in order to be granted a restraining order against him and also hopefully the seizing of all electrical devices. With those locked away, there'd be sure proof of how much digging he'd done into her personal life and that would be enough to keep Michael safe. He was all that mattered to her at that moment. Him and his little brother or sister that was still nestled safely inside her stomach were what finally gave Rachel the power she needed, the strength she had spent weeks trying to find despite the speeches full of hope that had been given to her by her husband. She needed to find it on her own, and it ended up being Stuart who had given that to her. She looked at the clock and knew she had a few more minutes to herself before the end of school bell rang, so decided to do her own research into what exactly she would need before Eddie turned up and she filled him in on the events that had transpired.

When Eddie walked into his wife's office after he'd finally finished for the day, it was to find her visibly agitated, sitting bolt upright and transfixed by her computer. He stopped dead, and felt his stomach fall through the floor. "What's happened now?"

She glanced up, relief and panic forming an odd mix on her face when she realised he was standing there. "Stuart happened."

Of course it had. It would have been too much to hope that he would run with his tail tucked between his legs, and leave this day for them. Eddie came closer, dropping into a chair as Rachel began to explain. Only to her surprise, instead of the anger she was expecting, he instead looked doubtful. "I don't know Rach- it sounds like he was just blowing off steam."

"Blowing off steam?" she repeated incredulously. "Eddie, he threatened me, and Michael! And in lesser terms, Tess. And you think it was all bluster?"

"Yes," he said simply. "He's not stupid enough to do anything now Rach. Tess's allegations will have the police watching him- he'd never get away with."

But she shook her head. "He's cornered and desperate, and desperate people do dangerous things."

"But there would be no point in coming after you or Michael," he argued. "He can't put the worms back in the can, and it's not like you can do anything. Sweetheart, let it go. Ignore him. He was angry, and venting."

She wasn't convinced. Not in the slightest, but she could see the lines of stress on Eddie's face beginning to return after they'd vanished earlier that day, knew that he needed to believe it was over as badly as she did. The only problem was, she was the pessimist in this relationship and she couldn't help but think the worse. But she nodded to him, dropping the conversation and allowing him to change the subject, knowing all the while that this wasn't over.

She maintained that line of thought, but hadn't made any progress on how to overcome the issue in the three days since. Nor had she heard anything, beyond receiving a message that the meeting had been rescheduled for three weeks' time and that the bid by Hordley Construction was once again off the table. Thankfully.

She walked into her office, early thanks to the fact that Eddie was dropping Michael at nursery and so they'd gotten ready separately, meaning she had actually left on time for once. She intended to get ahead as much as possible on her paperwork, just in case the morning sickness decided to hit her unexpectedly… albeit the morning part of the term was somewhat misleading, she remembered.

The small smile on her face dropped when she found her office already occupied.

"Stuart…"

"Forgive the intrusion." He rose from his seat on the sofa, smiling at her. "But I needed to speak to you."

Her heartbeat was through the roof, and she slowly rounded the room to place her bag down, freeing her hands. "If this is about Tess, I have no idea where she is or what she's doing."

"It's not. About Tess, I mean."

"Then what?"

"It's about us."

Was he really going to try and blackmail her again? She wondered. Surely he wouldn't be that stupid. "What do you mean?"

He held his hands out slightly. "I was out of order, the other day on the phone. I was… frustrated, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have, and i'm sorry."

She stared at him, mouth falling open for a few moments before she caught herself. "I… don't know what to say to that."

"Say you'll let me take you out to dinner to make it up to you."

"Excuse me?"

"I crossed the line," he admitted, and she felt like her eyes were probably bugging out of her head. "It was unfair, and I would like to apologise properly."

"I believe you just did."

"I said properly." He smiled again, just a hint of sheepishness in his tone. She didn't believe it for a second. "I believe that actions speak louder than words. I would like to convince you that your secrets are safe with me, as long as mine are with you. There's a restaurant in town I think you'll like."

Her mind raced. She was no fool, she knew what he meant. Her past would stay hidden as long as she kept quiet about the blackmail. He would try to discredit Tess and her proof, probably not realising his former secretary had given more to Rachel. And if she crossed him, he would come after her and her family.

It wasn't a decision really. Keeping him sweet was the main priority.

"Okay," she agreed hesitantly. "On the understanding it's nothing more than a dinner between acquaintances. I am married."

"Of course," he agreed, and smiled.

Rachel debated whether or not to tell Eddie, but knew she would never be able to lie to him, nor would she want to keep it from him in the first place. However, she wasn't prepared for the stubborn stance her husband was to have on the situation, with no room for argument. When the day finally ended and most staff had left the grounds, Rachel met Eddie in her office and decided to tell him before she could talk herself out of it.

"Absolutely not." He crossed his arms, angry that she would even consider it. Eddie had thought his mind was playing tricks of him to begin with, that he must be losing his marbles if he really thought he was hearing that Rachel was suggesting to go out for dinner with none other than Stuart Hordley. He wasn't jealous, far from it as he knew her reasons. But there's no way he was standing for it, no way he was allowing her to put herself in harms way in a situation that could end so badly for all involved.

Rachel saw the determined look cross his face, but it just angered her more. She wasn't a child, didn't deserve to be treated like one. But she knew Eddie would have these concerns, and decided an attempt to reason with him may be better for both of them. "Eddie just listen-"

"I won't listen to anything Rachel. You're not going." Not far from stomping his foot to reiterate his point, he crossed his arms as he cut her off, not even wanting to listen to what she needed to say. There was no argument she could think of, nothing she could possibly say that would convince him of this being a good idea.

Rachel could feel her blood boiling, the rage simmering within her each time she tried to reason with him. "It's not-"

"Did you really think I'd be okay with my wife going for dinner with someone else?"

She was tired of being interrupted, rolling her eyes at his comment as she looked at him with an unamused expression. He was twisting her words, guilt tripping her into his way of thinking. "It's not like that, and you know it."

Eddie couldn't understand how Rachel wasn't getting his point of view, he knew that if the rolls were reversed, then his wife would feel the same. But she had her professional head screwed firmly on at the current moment, and her personal life was known to take a back seat when that was the case. "That makes it even worse. It's dangerous."

"Hardly." She crossed her arms defiantly, growing tired of the conversation and beginning to pack her bags so to make a quick escape away from him and away from their conversation.

"You're pregnant Rach. If you're in danger, so is our baby. Have you thought of that?"

"All I've thought about is our baby and Michael, that's why I need to go." She spit out her words, annoyed beyond belief that Eddie was trying to use their children against her. As if this was something she'd given no thought to, a decision she'd taken lightly.

Eddie noticed her packing her bag and crossed the room to remove her fingers from it, taking it from her in an attempt to stop her leaving. They needed to discuss this, to find a solution and talk through their options before she walked away and into a possible trap set up by their known enemy. "No way, it's not happening. Nothing is worth this, absolutely nothing."

Rachel allowed him to do as he pleased, knowing it was pointless to be taking her laptop home anyway. With the way this conversation was going, it wasn't like she was going to be able to go home and do any form of work that required brain power. "Not even my career? My life? Everything I've worked for? The sake of the school?"

"You heard me.. nothing."

"Well I'm going, I need to hear what he has to say. I need to know where I stand." And with that closing statement, she held her head high and walked away from him. She had what she needed, her phone already pocketed and car keys in hand. She'd go to see Stuart, make sure everything was fine and then leave soon after. She hated walking away from an argument, but needed to escape so she could do this and return home to inform Eddie of just how wrong he was. She sat in her car and only then slowed down to take a breath, placing a delicate hand on her stomach before starting the car. She hoped she was right, hoped that Eddie had been overreacting. For her own sake, and everyone else's.

"Thanks for coming." Stuart stood to kiss Rachel's cheek as she approached, and it took everything within her to not pull a face of disgust as she felt his lips touch her cheek. "I've ordered you a wine, I hope that's okay?"

Rachel immediately froze, wondering how she was to get herself out of this situation. She hardly wanted to reveal hers and Eddie's most cherished secret to Stuart Hordley before they had chance to tell their families and friends, but she wasn't going to sit and enjoy a glass of wine either. "Sorry Stuart, but I'm driving. I've had strict rules for myself, no driving after even a drop." She was grateful for her own quick thinking, and busied herself in looking over the menu so to do anything but make eye contact with him.

"You're a better person than me." She forced a smile as she studied the words in front of her, wondering what foods she'd be able to sit in front of without feeling the overwhelming nausea that had been coming thick and fast recently.

"Sorry I'm late, I hope I haven't missed much." Rachel turned in shock, faced the newcomer just in time to see him pull up a chair beside them and slot himself in the middle.

"Eddie, what are you doing?"

He looked at her, and she didn't need to know him as well as she did to spot the simmering fury underneath the veneer of the bland smile he gave her. "You didn't really think I would allow my wife to go to dinner alone with another man, did you?"

Don't you know what you're doing? She wanted to scream at him. He'll come after Michael, after you.

"An unexpected pleasure, Eddie." Stuart's interjection saved her from having to compose herself enough to give a reply, and she glanced at him anxiously, relieved when he looked entertained rather than angry. "Perhaps you can save the wine from going to waste? Unless you have the same hang-ups about driving?"

Rachel didn't hear Eddie's reply, too busy trying to get her breathing under control. She dug her nails into her palm, use the faint pain to focus herself.

"So tell me, Rachel," Stuart was saying, putting an odd emphasis on her name. "How do you think Waterloo Road will do without exams this year?"

He didn't know Eddie knew, she realised, mind racing. The way he said her name was a reminder, a subtle threat that he could call her Amanda at any point and open what he thought was a whole new can of worms. If that was his ploy, then at least they had some breathing room, she thought in relief. "You said yourself, exam results aren't everything," she answered calmly. "Right now, those exams don't fit the needs of the students."

"Waterloo Road has always put an emphasis on the wellbeing of students, rather than league tables," Eddie agreed. Rachel felt her expression become rather fixed as he spoke.

That didn't change throughout the conversation. They almost ignored each other, never speaking to the other directly and certainly Rachel had been careful not to look towards him, too angry and frustrated to be sure of her reaction. She excused herself to the bathroom, noting that her hands were shaking slightly, from the combination of adrenaline and stress and rage, no doubt.

She exited, felt herself jump when she found Stuart in front of her. "Sorry," he smiled. "I was answering the call myself." he nodded towards the men's, just next door and she smiled tightly, wishing she was anywhere but here. "I couldn't help but notice some tension between you and Eddie," he continued, shifting his weight so that he almost loomed over her. "Trouble in paradise?"

She had to fight to keep her voice steady. "Of course not."

His gaze bored into hers, until she was even more uncomfortable than she had been, and sure it had begun to show in her expression. "No matter then," he murmured eventually. "I always did like a challenge."

Her breath caught. What? He couldn't possibly be serious, couldn't possibly mean what she thought he meant. He couldn't honestly be that egotistical that he thought she would… actually, from his comments about her past, that was probably exactly what he thought. Forgetting all about the consequences, she opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she felt about him...

Only someone came around the corner towards the bathrooms, and the interruption forced her to remember where she was, why she was there. So she said nothing as she ducked her head and slipped past him to return to the table, hands trembling worse than before as she sat down to a meal that might as well have been sawdust for all she could taste.

Rachel thought she might just collapse in relief as the meal finally came to a close. After a brief, only partially jesting argument about who was going to pay, Eddie had grabbed her coat and held it out, leaving her no choice but to allow him to help her into it before Stuart stepped forward with a smile. "I've enjoyed this evening," he told her, grasping her arms lightly and leaning down. For one, awful moment she thought he was going to try and kiss her, but his head diverted at the last minute to press his lips to her cheek, too close to her lips for her liking. "I'm glad we could do this." he stepped back, slapped Eddie on the shoulder, apparently not seeing the dark look in his eyes.

"Of course," she said softly. "Goodnight." They'd parked in different places, leaving her able to split away as soon as they'd stepped out the doors and the sound of his footsteps had soon faded, the knot in her stomach easing somewhat. Eddie's car was next to hers, something she didn't think was a coincidence.

"Rachel-,"

"Don't." she held up a hand to stop him.

"Rach-,"

"DON'T." Her eyes flashed as she rounded on him. "I am so angry right now, I will say something I might regret, though at this moment I doubt it. So shut up, get in your car and try to switch your brain on enough to drive home without crashing."

She spun on her heel, and he watched as she didn't even look at him again as she climbed into her car and drove away, his teeth grinding together. "Stuart bloody Hordley!" he muttered under his breath, kicking his tire.

One short drive later, and the only light in the house turned on was the hallway lamp. He paused, listening, and was beginning to seriously wonder if Rachel was even in the house when he heard a faint creak from the kitchen, and followed the noise to find the back door open, Rachel outside sat on the patio steps. She must have heard him coming, but she didn't look around, even when he stepped down to settle next to her.

Only now, from this position he could see the tear tracks shining on her face, the way one arm was wrapped protectively over her stomach. He'd been spoiling for a fight, sure they would get into a screaming match as soon as they were both through the door but this… this he hadn't been expecting and it threw him. "Rach?"

"Stuart all but told me he intends to pursue me, try to drive a wedge between," she said, a blank look on her face even as she continued to cry silent tears. "I thought he was crazy at the time, but it occurred to me on the way home. He already has."

He scoffed. "Don't be stupid."

Now, she turned her head and her eyes were grief-stricken and haunted. "We've argued more in the past few weeks than we have in our entire relationship," she pointed out in a dull voice. "Your actions tonight have made it perfectly clear you don't trust me anymore, nor respect my opinions when they differ from yours. A few days ago, you thought I was overreacting and overemotional and today I'm apparently uncaring and reckless. You don't think I can parent your son, or this baby and right now I have no idea how the hell we're going to raise a child together. Tell me how he hasn't already won?"

Horror pooled in his stomach. "Rachel…" he reached out for her, feeling as if someone had punched him.

"Don't touch me!" she pulled away, surging to her feet and the anger was back in her eyes. "You can't fix this with comfort and sex, Eddie!"

"Rachel, you're wrong," he told her, somewhat desperately. He'd had no idea how much their previous argument had hurt her, no idea how she'd taken his words entirely differently to how he'd meant them. Could pregnancy hormones affect her this early? He remembered Alison acting somewhat erratically, but he had thought it started later.

Rachel shook her head at him. "I don't think I am," she said tiredly. She turned, walked a few steps before she paused, barely turning her head back towards. "I think you should sleep in the spare room tonight."

He felt like he couldn't breathe. She continued walking away but he remained frozen, ice running through his veins. Their whole marriage, their whole relationship, they had never got to the point where one needed that kind of break from the other. They'd argued, of course they had, both passionate and stubborn but sleeping apart? Rachel hated it, he knew, hated not having the reassurance of his presence throughout the night, no matter how angry she was at him. And so for her to request that he sleep elsewhere…

He swallowed the nausea rising in his throat as he realised how broken all of this had made his wife, and he hadn't even noticed.

He busied himself by making a cup of tea in an attempt to get her to calm down before the night came and he was faced with the reality of sleeping alone. Looking for anything to occupy his mind, he decided to mark some books at the table and allow her extra time alone that he knew she would need. He couldn't concentrate, the numbers of the maths books swimming in front of him as he failed to keep his tears away. How could he have been so stupid, to let his own selfish thoughts push Rachel to such a breaking point. This was the times of her life that she should be celebrating, a time to only focus on the baby growing inside of her whilst trying to remain as stress free as possible. She had so much on already with her job and Stuart that she really didn't need her own husband adding to it, and he felt like a complete idiot for doing just that.

Finally giving up with the idea of marking, having spent almost an hour looking at the same page, he gave up and started the walk upstairs. He grabbed a throw from the front room on his way, an idea hitting him as he thought about approaching her. He didn't want to anger her more, made a vow to himself to make her life as easy as possible from that very moment onwards. Approaching her would not go well, he knew her enough to know that. She'd only rage further that he had denied her wishes, and if she really needed space, then he'd give her that. But he wasn't prepared to give up and give in, not just yet. So he found some sleepwear from the laundry puke they kept in the spare room and changed silently, grabbing some pillows from the bed before making his way over to their shut bedroom door. "Rach, I'm still here. I'll stay outside but I've never spent a night in the spare room and I'm not starting now." He promised, laying the pillows down and settling himself on them, legs bent in front of him as he covered himself with the throw. He knew that if he had the ability to see through doors, he'd be able to see her her tucked up in their bed. He knew she wouldn't be asleep, she'd spoken in great detail of how she always struggled when he wasn't by her side. But she'd be pretending for sure, eyes closed in the darkness as she faked sleep in case he was to walk in. But for his own mind, and because he knew she'd be listening, he continued to speak through the door and just pray that she was still listening to him. "We've never gone to sleep on an argument. Darling, please can we talk about this?" He was begging, holding his head in his hands as he asked her carefully. He wanted to respect her wishes, he truly did. But he also needed to hold her in his arms, to apologize until the early hours and just hope that he could do so enough for her to consider forgiveness.

Rachel heard his question, biting her lip hard to stop the sob escaping her mouth. She'd tried everything to distract herself, starting with work and quickly switching to a book when her diary failed to occupy her mind. She listened to every sound she could as Eddie moved around downstairs, wondering what she was doing and aching to get up and speak to him. But pride won out, her anger not allowing her to move from her position on the bed as she curled up and caught up on what important milestone her child could be reaching in the baby book Eddie had purchased after they decided to start trying. They'd spent each evening pouring over the pages as they discussed what stages they were suspecting before they had their doctors appointment to confirm, and the tears slid down her cheeks as she read today's entry alone. She wanted him beside her, but her entire body felt heavy with exhaustion. She was tired of everything; tired of being terrified of Stuart Hordley, tired of her job taking over every aspect of her life as she brought each issue home, tired of Eddie fighting her on each of said issues and their professional life interfering with their personal one.

Her chances of actually getting any sleep were next to none, and she put down her book as she heard Eddie walk up their stairs. She stopped to wonder if he'd respect her wishes, if he'd listen to her question or ignore her entirely and try again to patch up their issues. She heard him settle against their door, and couldn't help but sigh at the gesture. The image of him huddles against their frame was right in front of her as she heard him call her through the wood, and she ached to reply. She remained strong though, refusing to acknowledge him as she picked up her phone to fire off a message to one of the maths teachers she forgot to grab at the end of the day. It wasn't until he begged her, his words ringing true about them never having gone to sleep without sorting an argument that she decided to give up. He was right, and she also didn't want their record to falter. Especially not now, not when they'd come so far. They'd overcome so much in such a short space of time, had vowed to love and support one another through better and through worse. This was definitely the definition of worse, but Eddie had done as she'd asked. He'd provided space, agreed to sleep elsewhere if that's what she wanted. She was grateful for that, but also glad he'd decided not to entirely listen and had decided to stay and fight for her also. She crept from bed and made her way to the door slowly, wondering through each step if she was doing the right thing. As she got closer, she knew from the way Eddie was breathing that he was crying himself, and the sound alone had her throwing the door open so quickly that her husband toppled into the room and landed in a heap at her feet. "Eddie Lawson, do you ever listen?"

To his relief, she didn't sound irritated. Her voice was raw, eyes red and blotchy but he didn't seem to have angered her more. He blinked a few times, surprised to find himself now on the floor before managing to scramble to his feet. "Not really," he admitted. "But you knew that already."

He didn't receive the smile he was hoping for, not even faintly. Rachel had lent against the door, head resting against it as she looked at him tiredly. "I can't do this anymore."

The exhaustion was clear in her tone, her whole body screaming that she was utterly defeated, and it sent a lance of pain through him. "Sweetheart..." He reached for her automatically but she flinched back, and he knew he hadn't been quick enough to hide the hurt expression that formed.

"Eddie, this isn't working."

No no no. Panic rose within him, heart threatening to explode from his chest as his breath caught, and then sped up to a rate that was far too fast. He refused to let this happen, refused to lose her. "Rachel, listen to me." He struggled to moderate his tone, struggled to keep the alarm from entering and upsetting her more. "All that stuff you said earlier- I didn't mean it how you took it. Rachel, of course I trust you, I trust you more than anyone in the world. I know nothing would ever happen. It's Hordley I don't trust."

"But it's me you refused to listen to and then ordered around like an errant child!"

He winced. "I'm sorry."

She buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking and every part of him longed to reach out, to draw her to him. But her reaction earlier had made it clear she wasn't ready for that, and so he clenched his fists and forced his arms to remain at his sides. When she finally lifted her head, her palms were wet, but she didn't seem to notice as she scraped back her hair and held it at the nape of her neck.

"Listen to me, please," he begged. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way, I didn't mean to. It scares me, Rachel, the hold Hordley has over you. You're terrified of him, I see it and it scares me and I don't know how to make it better."

"I don't need you to make it better! I'm not some delicate flower, I don't need you to go all male chauvinistic caveman in a misguided attempt to protect me!"

"It's not about chauvinism, Rachel! It's about me loving you, and wanting to keep you from harm, whatever guise that may come in."

"You can't keep using that as an excuse! 'I did it because I love you'- Eddie it doesn't work like that! You tried laying down the law, and when that didn't work you shoved your way into the situation to get your own way as much as possible anyway! What kind of message is that going to send to our child?"

She wrapped her arms around her stomach, and the sight of it helped him to clamp down on the frustration that was rapidly growing. "You were trying to go to dinner, alone, with a man who had blackmailed and threatened you. Tell me you realise how insane that is?"

"As far as you were concerned, his threats were empty and just him blowing off steam. But all of a sudden, when it suits you then you think differently. You're unbelievable." However hard she tried, she couldn't stop the tears from flooding down her cheeks, pressing her hand to her mouth to try to stop the sobs that were threatening. The sight brought Eddie up short, curbing his temper and he sagged against the wall.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

She stared at him in shock. "What?"

"I should have listened to you explain before I jumped down your throat," he admitted. "And I shouldn't have brushed off your concerns about Hordley in the first place."

She looked uncertain. "Are you just saying that to pacify me?"

"No, darling. I'm saying it because somehow we've ended up at the point where you no longer want me sleeping next to you, and I'm pretty sure we both played a part in it."

Her face contorted, a hundred emotions flashing across and culminating in fresh tears tracking down her cheeks. That did it- he sent up a silent prayer that she wouldn't pull away from him again and stepped forwards, gently cupping his hands around her face. She allowed the touch, and he went weak with relief, even as his thumbs gently swiped away the wetness on her face. "I love you, Rachel. I started falling in love with you the day we met, and I'm still falling, a little bit more every day. And I'm never going to stop, not for longer than either of us can even imagine."

That might just have been the most incredible thing she'd ever heard, and with Eddie as her husband, that was saying a lot. She closed her eyes, hands coming up to cover his as she leant into his touch, felt his lips come to rest on her forehead.

"It's you and me," he continued quietly, "it's always going to be. And Stuart fu-lipping Hordley does not get to break us."

He wasn't sure how, or who moved first but suddenly she was in his arms, buried against him so that he could feel her tears leaking into the shoulder of his t-shirt, barely holding his own at bay as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you Eddie, I can't do this alone." The words were muffled against his shirt as she openly cried against the material. she wasn't sure what exactly she was that she was referring to, the pressure all of a sudden too much for her. She could be referring to the blackmail, because she was sick and tired of walking on eggshells and jumping each time her office door opened or the phone rang. She could be referring to her job, the never-ending pressures she was facing taking a toll on the enjoyment of a job she once found refuge in. She could also be talking about the baby, the small fear inside of her growing bigger each time Stuart came around or her and Eddie fought. Every time she allowed herself to think of the situation she found herself in, Rachel wondered what on earth had possessed her to suggest trying for a baby and adding a child into their situation. It was tricky enough with Michael, and even then they had the luxury of part custody being shared with Alison. If things went wrong between them and they had their child, there was no ex-wife to call on, Eddie and Rachel would have to face whatever it was with in infant in tow.

Eddie watched as Rachel allowed her thoughts to consume her, and held her tightly as she absentmindedly walked herself backwards and towards their bed. She was so lost to her own thoughts that he didn't think twice about following her, taking his place beside her after he had gotten her settled and taken her hand in his. "You don't have to do anything alone." He promised, stopping to make sure he had her full attention before continuing. "I am so sorry, if you even contemplated it for a second. I am here Rach. No matter what, I am by your side."

Rachel noticed the sincerity in his eyes and offered him a small smile as she reached up to touch his cheek. "Something has got to give, stress isn't good for the baby." She hated revealing just how weak she felt, but she had always prided herself on how honest she was to Eddie. She needed him to know how she was feeling, needed to make him aware of just how scared she was of everything going wrong and crashing in front of her eyes once more. She knew he felt the same, knew his worry stemmed from the situation with Steven and was only multiplied by Stuart Hordley and his threats. However, it didn't make it any easier, didn't make it a better pill to swallow.

"This should be the happiest time of our lives, I feel so guilty that it hasn't been. That changes from now." Eddie took hold of her head after kissing the palm of her hand that rested against her cheek. He moved his body to be facing her fully, searching her eyes with his own and begging her to listen to him. They could do this, they were strong enough to get through this.

"Eddie this baby is one of the only reasons that I have been happy. That, and you. When i don't want to kill you, of course." She attempted to lighten the mood before saying her next piece, not wanting to break the smile he had at her admission but needing to further discuss their next steps. "We need a way out of this. I have an idea, you're not going to like it. But i need you to hear me out before hitting the roof, okay? And remember you promised to trust me."

Eddie felt the blood drain from his face, a thousand different scenarios and ideas running through his mind as to what his wife could have possibly thought of in that equally brilliant and terrifying mind of hers. She was a force to be reckoned with when her mind was set on something, so Eddie chose to nod and gesture for her to continue instead of answering her questions.

"For some reason, Stuart wanted to meet me alone. I think he's a bit sweet on me, if i'm honest." She knew from the way Eddie's hold tightened on her that he didn't like where she was going already, but she narrowed her eyes and continued on before he got the chance to stop her. "If I play on that, I can maybe get somewhere. Some sort of admission on tape, some hard evidence to keep him away from me, away from us. It worked for Tess.. and if we work together we can make sure I'm not in any danger, okay? I need this over Eddie, I've got too much at stake." Once more her eyes filled with tears, and her touch returned to her stomach as if her hands could somehow protect the precious life growing there.

His grip on her tightened even more. He buried his face in her hair, biting his tongue to stop the adamant refusal that so desperately wanted to come out.

"I don't like it," he managed calmly, "but I won't try to stop you."

"Don't you dare, Eddie Lawson!" she was angry again, hand thumping against his chest before she sat up, glaring at him.

"What?"

"Don't you dare just agree with everything I say because you don't want to upset me! That's not how this works!" Tears shone in her eyes, this time out of anger and Eddie was baffled. Hadn't she been upset with him for disagreeing before?

"Alright, I'm sorry," he soothed, hoping that these pregnancy hormones would calm down in a few weeks. They were certainly affecting her worse than any other symptom so far. "I just don't want to upset you."

"Then don't be an arse!"

They lapsed into silence, Rachel falling backwards to stare anxiously at the ceiling.

"Give me a week."

She jumped at the sudden request, turning to look at Eddie in confusion. "Sorry?"

"Give me a week before you go through with your insane plan to use yourself as bait," he asked. "And if I still haven't found another way…"

She slowly nodded her agreement. "A week."

He pulled her against him, one hand coming to rest over hers across her stomach. "This will all work out, Rach," he whispered. "One way or another, I promise."

"I couldn't be happier about this baby, Eddie, but I don't think it could be worse timing. I'm so sorry."

He frowned, brushed a lock of hair from her face. "There was never going to be a perfect time, love. Admittedly, it's been a little more complicated than we'd have liked, but it wasn't a mistake. I don't believe that, I could never believe that."

Her hand slid up to cradle his face, stretching her neck to capture his lips with hers. He sank into the kiss without hesitation, pulling her as close as possible. "I'm sorry," she murmured again, lips brushing his as she spoke. "For everything."

"I'm sorry too."

They pressed closer, legs entwined and hands roving until Eddie rolled them both so that he hovered over her, never breaking their kiss. Her fingers twisted into his hair, tugging him down and he finally drew apart enough to look at her. Her eyes were darkened, echoing how he was feeling and she tried to reach up, to bring him closer. "Please, no teasing. Not tonight."

"No teasing," he promised, and began to trail kissed across her jaw, down her throat to a certain spot where her neck curved into her shoulder. She sighed when he reached it, kissing and sucking and tongue lathing. There was something exquisite about being with someone who knew you so well, she thought, who knew each and every sensitive spot better than you did yourself. She tilted her head, giving him better access, until a realisation hit her and she opened her eyes to peer down at him.

"Eddie Lawson, did you just give me a hickey?"

Her tone was somewhere between outraged and amused, and she actually felt him smirk against her. "Sorry."

"We're not sixteen!"

He made his way back up to her lips, pressing a sweet kiss to them. "Sorry," he repeated. "I know that you're no ones' possession. But I have to admit, I quite like the thought of Hordley seeing that, and knowing that I was the one who gave it to you."

"That's incredibly sexist. But also kind of hot."

He didn't have time to feel surprised before she was hooking a leg around him, flipping them over until she was leaning over him, her hair falling forward to curtain them both. "But you realise that means I get to do the same to you?" she continued with a mischievous smile.

He felt an answering grin curve across his lips. "No complaints from me."

Luckily, their lives went back to normal in the days following their big argument. Rachel was able to accept each change to her body as it arrived, even welcoming the sickness she felt when the clock struck 3pm each day. She firmly believed that whoever labeled it morning sickness should be given a stern talking to, as her child decided that any time from mid-afternoon was a no food zone. But Eddie didn't hear her complain once, and she even welcomed the constant feeling of nausea if it meant their child was safe and thriving inside of her. They attended their first appointment, and were both filled with complete joy as their pregnancy was confirmed by medical professionals. Their scan was scheduled for a later date due to Rachel not yet being 12 weeks, but they were told that everything was completely fine and their baby was healthy. Rachel set about her plans to tell Michael, wanting him to feel included and therefore having a t-shirt made to tell him his news of becoming a big brother.

As she sat in her office, she opened her sandwich as she typed away and answered her most important emails. Even though it had not long turned 10, she had taken to still eating 3 meals a day but starting earlier. Breakfast was as soon as she woke, with lunch just before break-time and her dinner being while others ate their lunch. The phone began to ring and she reached for it absentmindedly, sandwich in hand as she held it between her ear and shoulder. "Rachel Mason speaking."

"So, I hear you're pregnant?"

Her face dropped at the sound of his voice, a chill running down her spine as she heard his words. He'd been blacklisted from the school, all security briefed that he wasn't to enter on the grounds of his bid falling through and the potential threat he could be to the school. Little did everyone know just how true that was, but she was grateful for the small excuse that kept him away from her. "Stuart, how on earth could you know that?"

She dreaded his reply, didn't really want to hear exactly how he knew her deepest and most precious secret. Yet she couldn't stop listening, had dropped her sandwich and was now clutching the phone with both hands so hard that her knuckles were white.

"Don't pretend you didn't know I've been having you followed. I know everything Rachel. How could you do it?"

She was being followed? Her mind was racing, her grip tightening even more than she thought possible as she used the phone to ground her. She was shaking, terrified of the very idea of someone being paid to know her whereabouts and report back to someone who quite openly wanted to ruin her life. "Do what?" She asked, wondering where exactly this conversation could be going.

"Pick him over me. We'd be so much better together."

Until that moment, Rachel only had her suspicions. But his words were solid enough proof, and the blood drained from her face. "Leave me alone, please. Leave us alone." She begged, asking for herself, for her husband, for their children. She hated how pathetic she felt whenever she spoke to him, how he was the only one that reduced her back to a scared teenage girl.

"This won't be the end Rachel, I won't stop."

His words were final, and they shook her to her core as the line went dead. She had no other plans, no real way she could see herself getting out of the situation she'd found herself in. No matter what promises Eddie made, no matter how many plans she came up with herself, Stuart seemed completely unstoppable and she was at a dead end.

For a moment, she could only sit in place, still clutching at the phone. Her breath came in gasps, too fast and shallow as her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She shoved the handset down, uncaring that it merely landed on the desk as she stumbled across her office, wrenching open the door and ignoring the odd look she received from her assistant at her desk.

It was hardly the only peculiar look she gained as she raced down the corridors, ignoring the handful of questions that were called out to her. She had to catch herself on the doorway of Eddie's classroom to slow herself, only to find the room empty and she swore under her breath. It would be now of all times he chose not to do his marking at his desk. She rushed off again, running through the corridors and practically burst into the staffroom. The staff that were in there looked up in surprise. "Are you okay?" Jasmine questioned, sat on one of the sofas but Rachel only had eyes for Eddie, who was rising from his seat with a worried look etched onto his face.

"Rachel?"

She practically flew into his arms. "Eddie, he knows!"

"Who knows? And what?"

She swallowed thickly, trying to keep her rising panic at bay. "Stuart! He called me, said that he'd been having me followed! That he knew, about the baby, about everything."

Both of her hands were pressed over her stomach, his own resting lightly on her arms as the colour drained from his face. "Someone's been following you?"

"I don't know!" her voice was verging on hysterical. "I didn't notice! But they must have, there's no other way for him to know!"

"Sweetheart, breathe," he soothed, but the look on his face was far from calm. One hand came up to stroke over her hair, the other resting on her waist and pulling her closer.

"What do we do?"

He didn't have an answer, and the worry written into every line of his face did nothing to comfort her.

"I don't mean to butt in," said a voice from behind them, "but what the hell?"

They both stiffened. Somehow, in her panic Rachel had completely forgotten they weren't alone in the staffroom, but now was quickly becoming aware of the number of eyes fixed on them both. Over her head, Eddie met Tom's gaze. "Sorry- we'll take it outside."

"Don't think that's what he was getting at," Steph said, eyes wide. Rachel ducked her head, eyes closing for a moment.

"Are you alright? Who's following you?" Jasmine questioned, and a hum seemed to go around the room as others agreed with the question. Eddie and Rachel's eyes met, Eddie's uncertain. But Rachel turned to face the small group, shifting until she could feel Eddie behind her.

"One of the potential contractors for the building work," she admitted. "Stuart Hordley."

Tom frowned. "The guy Bolton Smilie works for?"

"That's him. He didn't get the contract because he's currently the subject of a police investigation, which is also the reason he's been banned from school grounds."

"Part of the reason," Eddie corrected, and she inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"We'll help," Jasmine volunteered immediately, and Rachel shot her a grateful smile.

"That's sweet, but I don't know how you can. We don't have any proof and it's my word against his."

Steph crossed her arms. "You're a respected headteacher, he's a failed builder being investigated for…"

"Extortion," Eddie supplied.

She acknowledged him with a wave. "They have to believe you over him."

Rachel shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I'm not so sure…"

"Regardless," Tom spoke up into the resulting silence, "Jasmine's right, of course we'll help any way you can. Make sure you're never alone, that sort of thing."

"I'd appreciate that," Eddie said quickly.

"And in the meantime… congratulations." Tom grinned, nodded towards her abdomen and she felt her cheeks heat up. She just knew that behind her, Eddie was fighting to keep a grin off of his face.

"We weren't actually planning to tell anyone yet…" he looked at Rachel, who's cheeks were pink as she rubbed her head with her hand, avoiding the gazes.

Steph sighed. "We'll keep quiet."

Eddie's eyebrows shot up as the others murmured their agreements. "It's the least we can do." Tom nodded.

True to their word, the staff in the know made sure Rachel was never alone and always had someone close by inside trouble was to come her way. She felt completely surrounded, but was grateful for the intrusion for once. She knew Eddie was grateful, could rest slightly easier now he wasn't the only one watching out for her throughout the day but it didn't stop the both of them from worrying. Now that Stuart knew of their baby, it has dampened their high spirits and that was something Eddie was determined to change. He had meant what he said about making sure this continued to be the happiest time of their lives, and was determined for her pregnancy not to be tainted with the memory of Stuart Hordley.

It wasn't until a week later that Eddie got the unexpected news, typing away furiously on his laptop as he worked through his lunch break to get in some well needed extra research time on a way to take down Stuart. He tried to hide his worrying from Rachel, but he wasn't as good at it as he thought. She knew what he was up to, but said nothing as she knew arguing at this point was pretty pointless.

His phone rang and pulled him away from his screen, dropping the half eaten sandwich that he wasn't paying any attention to in favour of answering his phone quickly. As he did so, he was only just able to make out who was on the other side of her phone through the frantic voice and rambles that he caught through the speaker. "Mr Lawson, I'm sorry to bother you. I know you'll be busy. I've just left the police station."

He knew it was none other than Candeece Smilie, and his blood ran cold at what she could possibly need him for so urgently. The mention of the police had his hairs standing on end, hoping that he wasn't going to have to deliver more bad news to his wife, especially about a pupil she was so proud of. "Candeece? What's happened?"

"Bolton has been asked to give a statement about his work. Mr Hordley has been arrested, they've done their research into him and it doesn't look good." Eddie didn't need to hear any more, but contained to let Candeece fill him in some more as he had already began to stand and make his way down to where Rachel would be hiding away in her office.

Tom caught Eddie as he marched down the corridor, not stopping him to ask questions as he was hot on his heels. It looked important, and he followed him to Rachel's office without a second thought in case he was needed for anything important. Words weren't needed between the two, and Tom accepted the slight smile that was thrown his way as a sign that he wasn't being sent away. Eddie's face didn't look like he was headed for trouble, and it made Tom's intrigue even worse as the other ended the phone call just as they reached Rachel's office.

"Rach, you need to hear this."

Rachel had only just returned to her office having been walking the school to look for any trouble. Being honest with herself, she was finding any way she could to occupy both her mind and her body as they didn't seem any closer to finding a solution to their Stuart shaped problem. At Eddie's voice, she looked up and her eyes immediately filled with tears despite the added audience as she looked to find Eddie stood with Tom at the open door to her office, her heightened hormones causing her to react to each thing that passed her by on an emotional level. "What has he done now?" She didn't really want the answer, but needed to know and took a deep breath to prepare herself for whatever was about to be thrown her way.

"He's been attested. Stuart Hordley is behind bars."

She stared at him.

"Rach?" he began to feel concerned as her expression remained blank, eyes fixed on him.

"For what?"

"His company, I think. Bolton's been asked to give a statement- Candeece called me."

She still looked a little stunned, eyes wide and glassy. Neither noticed that Tom had vanished for a moment, running to grab a glass of water for his boss, who had gone a deathly pale. Eddie shot him a grateful look when he re-entered, handing the glass to Rachel who obediently took a sip. "I'm not quite sure what to think," she admitted.

Eddie came to kneel in front of her, hand sliding over hers. "Rach, he's gone. It's over."

"That's what we thought last time," she reminded him, but he shook his head.

"He's locked in a cell, Rachel. It's over."

She wasn't so sure. They still had no idea who had been following her, and it was hardly impossible for Hordley to continue giving someone instructions from behind bars. But Eddie looked so happy, so relieved that she couldn't bring herself to continue arguing the point and instead, gave him a weak smile that he didn't seem to notice the insincerity of.

It was much, much later that evening when Rachel was curled up in front of the tv, alone for the first time in days. Eddie had taken Michael to his swimming lesson, feeling comfortable about leaving her. She hadn't argued, simply made sure to lock the door behind him, drawing all the curtains and trying not to jump at every noise from outside.

She was overreacting, she knew. Every shadow was not a mysterious stalker, every car that drove past was not a threat. But that didn't stop the anxiety from trickling down her spine as she attempted to concentrate on her programme, and failed abysmally. A text buzzing through on her phone had her jumping into the air, then sighing at herself.

'Forgot Michael's goggles!'

She let out a soft laugh, because of course he had. 'He needs new ones anyway x'

She returned to her programme, not thinking much more of it. Until fifteen minutes later, when she heard a noise at the door and rolled her eyes. "Eddie Lawson," she muttered, climbing off the sofa and going to open it. "Did you really come all the way back just for a pair of-,"

She cut herself off, stomach dropping through the floor.

"Hello Rachel. Mind if I come in?" Stuart pushed past her, firmly shutting the door behind him and grabbing her arm, steering her back into the living room.

"How…? You're supposed to be…"

"In jail? I went to court this afternoon, was granted bail." He shoved her up against the wall, ignoring her struggles to get free. "Decided to come and pay my favourite headmistress a visit."

"No… Stuart please…"

"Ssh." his fingers landed over her mouth, and he smiled at her. "I'm impressed, you know. I was only arrested a couple of days ago, and you already know."

She didn't dare speak, didn't dare move in any way, even when his hand left her face to trail down to her stomach. "Not showing yet," he noted, sliding his palm over her. "How far along are you?"

"You mean you don't know everything?"

It slipped out before she could stop it, and she swore her heart stopped for a moment. But to her relief, he just chuckled. "Not precisely. About eight weeks, by my guess?"

She stayed silent. He didn't seem to notice, hand coming up to play with strands of her hair. She struggled not to pull away, not to antagonise him but she couldn't stop her breath from hitching, and he smirked, hand sliding deeper into her hair to cradle her head. "Don't," she pleaded, turning her face away.

"So faithful. Odd, considering your former profession," he mused. "Still, you won't need to be so loyal to that husband of yours soon enough."

What did he mean by that? She didn't have time to figure it out, too distracted by the way he shifted to press himself against her.

"Get off!"

Panic raced through her, hands attempting to push him away but he just chuckled, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand. He had a complete advantage- she had no leverage to push him off, and he was too strong for her to break free of his grip. "Stuart, please don't!"

"I admit," he murmured, mouth close to her ear, "I was upset, at first. But I suppose he is your husband, you could hardly turn him away."

"You're insane. Stuart, you need help."

He huffed an amused laugh, trailing a finger down the side of her face. "I have a proposition for you, Rachel. Come with me. Leave all this behind. We'll go somewhere, where no one can find us- we'd be good together, you know we would. You can still be a headteacher, I know how important it is to you. I'll even let you keep the baby, if you're attached to it. I don't think I'd be a bad father. Maybe I'll give you one of my own, once you've popped out this one. A new start, for both of us. What do you say?"

Rachel had to think quick on her feet, wondering the best way to get herself out of the situation safely was. It wasn't just herself she was thinking about now, it was her baby. Sending a silent apology to Eddie in her head, purely for her own piece of mind, she looked Stuart dead in the eye as she let herself nod slowly. She had to agree, needed to let him think he had his way before he did anything rash and put her in harms way. "Let's do it Stuart, let's run away." She forced herself to smile, hoping that it was even slightly convincing as she tried to stop herself from shaking so violently. She was two steps ahead of him thanks to her quick thinking, or so she hoped.

Stuart was rarely speechless in his life and with his line of work, but he had been rooted on the spot with Rachel's words. He had to blink twice to check he was still awake, that he wasn't locked in a very vivid dream. But she was there, he could feel her beneath his fingertips. "What did you say?" He asked again, needing the confirmation before he allowed himself to get excited.

Rachel was grateful that her quick thinking had caused Stuart so much shock that he'd dropped her hands, allowing her to reach behind herself and take hold of her phone. She only hoped she remembered where everything she needed was as she tried to find Eddie's number without altering Stuart of what he was doing. As much as she'd love to phone the police, she knew it wasn't a matter for them just yet. Although she felt in danger, she wasn't sure they'd see it in the same way and didn't want to be accused on wasting police time. Plus, if she had to bet on who'd get to her first anyway, her money would always be on her husband. "I'll do it Stuart, I'll come with you because I can't let you hurt me or my baby. Just tell me where we're going." She had no idea what was happening on the screen behind her, what she'd pressed or I'd she'd even managed to get it unlocked correctly. But if she had the name of a place, she had something to repeat when she was able to get Eddie on the other line.

Stuart had hoped for more, hoped that Rachel was choosing to be with him due to her own feelings. But he would take what he could get, and allowed himself to feel slightly giddy as he looked at her. "Liverpool, I know people there. Let's go." He didn't want to give her the chance to pack, the chance to think of her decision or plan a way out of it. He took hold of her once more and moved her towards his car, securing her in before getting around to the drivers side.

"Liverpool? What's in Liverpool Stuart?" Having had the chance to glance a look at her phone, Rachel was grateful to see it was connected which hopefully meant Eddie would be listening in and tracking her move. She knew she needed to speak clearly and repeat any answers she was given if he had any chance of following them and finding out where they were headed. Her heart was racing, palms sweating as she clutched onto the car door in a way to keep her grounded. The entire situation felt surreal, unsure how her evening had ended so differently to what she originally suspected. She thought she'd finally feel at peace, safe in the knowledge that she was finally able to relax alone while Eddie took Michael swimming and gave her the chance to simply put her feet up and enjoy a night free of stress over Stuart. Now, she could almost kick herself for being so stupid and naive.

"I have friends in Central, right by Lakeside. We can get your essentials from there." Stuart answered, and Rachel was grateful that he was offering her the specifics. If gave her the better chance of being traced if she had an exact location, and she found herself once again hoping that someone was listening on the other end of the phone.

The drive was bizarre, not least due to the overwhelming normality of it. The radio playing softly in the background, the hosts chattering and music playing just as on any other evening, despite the fact that Rachel's world was falling apart. Stuart tapped along to the beat on the steering wheel, glancing at her from time to time. "Is there somewhere you've always wanted to see?" he asked suddenly. She was sat with her arms wrapped around her stomach, and looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"A place you've always wanted to travel to?" He explained. "We won't be able to stay in Liverpool- we could take a trip. Abroad, maybe?"

He had an expectant look on his face, and for a moment her mind was blank, unable to remember a single place she'd ever known the name of. Certainly none that were a lie- she wasn't about to tell him the truth.

"Edinburgh," she came up with eventually. "I've never been."

That bit was true; she'd simply never had an overwhelming desire to visit. Stuart looked surprised, but nodded thoughtfully. "I have. It's nice. Lots of history."

She stayed silent. He looked over to her from the corner of his eye, and she had to fight to remain still when he reached a hand over to place on her leg. "It's going to be great, Rachel. You'll see."

"You must know they'll look for us," she said quietly. "At the very least, Eddie will report me missing, and you'll be expected in court."

His face contorted at Eddie's name, his grip tightening slightly. "Hence the trip abroad."

Without warning, he spun the wheel and sent them into a lay-by, turning in his seat to face her. Her heart threatened to beat through her chest as he gripped her chin, forcing her to look straight at him. "I don't want to hear his name again, understand? I don't want you to even think about him."

She swallowed thickly. "Okay."

He was breathing heavily, fingers bruising. "You're mine now," he told her, and she didn't dare argue, but neither could she bring herself to verbalise it. She managed to nod slightly, and instantly his expression relaxed, his hand loosening it's grip. He brushed her hair back from her face. "Used goods or not, I'll never understand how you weren't snapped up much sooner," he mused. She realised too late that he had wound her hair up in his fist and now he leant in, clearly intending to kiss her.

Bile rose in her throat and she quickly turned her head as much as his grip allowed. Instantly, her hair was pulled painfully tight, his eyes darkening.

"Not here," she managed quickly, trying to stop his anger from growing. "It should be... special."

As quickly as it had started, it finished. He released her hair and sat backwards, nodding thoughtfully. "You're right. There'll be plenty of time for... other activities, later tonight."

The blood had drained from her face at the thought, her hands instinctively pressing over her belly. She would endure, could endure, anything to protect her child, but she prayed that she wouldn't have to.

Eddie had just finished drying Michael off when his phone rang, and he answered it immediately upon seeing his wife's name. He wasn't even able to greet her before he heard her panicked voice, swiftly followed by the voice of Stuart Hordley. He tried not to show his concern as Michael asked after him, and Eddie continued to listen as he helped Michael to redress into his school uniform. He mentally saved any notes that Stuart was giving about what he was planning, and fought to stop his tears as Rachel practically begged to not be touched. His blood boiled, aching to get his hands on the man that was causing any pain or upset towards the love of his life. He tried his hardest to keep his anguish away from his son, faking a smile as he finished getting him dressed and taking his hand as he lead him outside to the reception area.

"Excuse me, can I borrow your phone?" Conscious of ending the call that Rachel had placed him on, he kept the phone to his ear so he could hear any clues that Stuart was giving away as he accepted the swimming bath's landline and called Alison's number from memory. "Alison, it's Eddie. I need to bring Michael round." He offered a smile to his son, trying to calm his own nerves and hoping they weren't passing onto Michael. Luckily, the little boy seemed oblivious and was pulling facing with the receptionist whilst he waited for his dad to finish.

"Eddie, for gods sake. It's your day, I'm on my way out."

Eddie had to resist the urge to shout, wanting nothing more than to have Alison in front of him so he could shake her shoulders and help her to see the seriousness of the situation. "Rachel's in danger, I need you to call the police and get them to meet me at yours without Michael seeing." He didn't want his son to be scared by sirens and flashing lights, but he knew it would be stupid to assume he could tackle this alone. He needed back up, people who were able to track her whereabouts now he had her connected on the phone. Luckily, Alison was able to sense the urgency in his words and agreed to change her plans, promising to call the police and asking him to bring Michael through the back door.

Eddie did just that, grateful that his son had kept his ability to sleep anywhere and at any time of day. With the swimming having knocked him of his energy, he fell asleep in the car and Eddie was able to carry him inside, his phone still glued to his ear as he made a note of anything Rachel was saying. He heard their plans to travel to Liverpool, his blood boiling as he longed to reach for Rachel and pull her into his arms. He'd never felt so helpless, sick to the stomach at the thought of being too late to help get his wife out of any danger. He descended the stairs two at a time and met the officers there, talking in hushed tones to not wake Michael as he filled them in on everything he knew. Alison was present and listening, putting a comforting arm around him as she heard the severity of the situation.

"Sir, can we take the phone? We have a better chance of tracking your wife if we can hook it up to our systems."

Eddie agreed reluctantly, not wanting to pass over the responsibility even though he knew it was for the best. He didn't have the resources, wasn't able to find Rachel on his own and that alone made Eddie feel completely helpless and useless. He wanted to save her, to take her away from any harm and he felt like he'd failed in every promise he'd ever made to her. As he handed his phone over, he was aware of some equipment being ushered into the house that he wasn't even sure where it had come from, imagining that it was something they kept in the cars for emergencies. He shot an apologetic look to Alison at the mess he was making of her living room, but she quietened him with the offer of making a cup of tea.

"We're tracing her location now, it shouldn't take long." The officer promised, and Eddie found himself wishing on stars he didn't believe in with hopes that it would bring her back safe to him. "We're almost there.." Eddie looked over at the screen but as he did, the entire thing went to black. "Shit, we've lost them." The officer frantically picked up the phone before looking to Eddie with wide eyes, an apology written across his entire face. "The call has been disconnected."

Rachel watched in dismay as her only lifeline vanished behind them. It hadn't taken long for Stuart to remember her phone, and promptly toss it from the car.

She felt tears prick her eyes, heart dropping through the floor. "I was thinking we should go somewhere warm from Edinburgh," Stuart was saying, "Spain maybe? Or Italy?"

"Sure," she agreed numbly. She was under no illusions- she was trapped, completely at his mercy. She was still in her first trimester, with an increased chance of losing the baby and she had heard horror stories of the damage a well-placed punch or kick could do. And she was under no illusions that Stuart would have any qualms about doing so.

She jumped when his hand landed over hers. "Rachel, are you listening?"

She didn't miss the dangerous note in his voice. "Sorry. I was thinking."

"About?"

"Passports," she quickly lied. "We don't have any."

Instantly, he relaxed. "I have that covered. I know a guy." She must have looked surprised, because he smirked. "You think you're the only one with a past?"

She managed a weak smile, but her stomach had dropped through the floor. If he actually managed to take them out of the country... what was she going to do?

"I want this to be your decision as well," Stuart said, sounding as if he were doing her a favour. "Edinburgh to anywhere you please- what will it be?"

She fought not to knock his hand away, swallowing back a fresh wave of tears as she realised this might be a reality. "Somewhere with good medical care," she requested, and he gave her an odd look. "For the baby. And... any future ones."

She swallowed a wave of nausea at that, her skin crawling at the expression that came over his face. "Yes..." he murmured. "Good idea."

She closed her eyes to prevent the wave of tears, turning her head away and leaning it backwards. To her surprise, Stuart fell silent and she quickly realised he thought she was asleep. She took full advantage, maintaining the charade as they continued to drive.

When she felt the movements of the car change, she cracked her eyes open, quickly realising they'd reached the city. She watched the lights whizz past, but quickly squeezed her eyelids shut again when they slowed and came to a halt in a residential street. She was careful to keep her breathing slow and even, even as the back of her neck prickled as she felt Stuart's eyes on her.

After a few moments, he climbed from the car and she'd just formulated half a plan to run, as soon as he wasn't watching her when her door opened, and she felt his fingers brush against her face.

She gasped, eyes flying open. Stuart looked taken aback, then mildly apologetic. "I didn't mean to scare you. We're here."

"Where's here?" She reluctantly accepted his help to climb from the car, glancing nervously into the darkness around them.

"My friend has a flat here he's not using. It'll take a few days for me to get the documents, but after that we'll go to Edinburgh." His tone was careless, but he had a bruising grip around her waist as he guided her into the building.

She barely noticed the apartment, other than it was modern and looked barely used. Stuart led her through, into the bedroom where he gave a push towards the bed.

Instantly, her heart was in her throat. She was gasping in breaths, backing away from him as he advanced on her. "Stuart..."

"No more stalling!" He demanded, reaching out to grip her head and force his mouth against hers.

She struggled against him, hands ineffective as the pushed at his chest, unable to turn away or lever him off. She tried to move backwards, but her heel caught the edge of the bed and she fell backwards, Stuart falling with her and encaging her in his arms. But it broke the kiss, and she hastily tried to wriggle away up the bed. "Please don't!"

"You promised to be mine!" He reminded her, pinning her wrists to either side of her head.

"Stuart please! Please don't!" She didn't care that she was begging, or that tears were streaking down her face. "I don't want this!"

"You don't get to decide that now!" He pressed his weight harder against her wrists, and they felt like they would break at any moment. "You didn't turn anyone away when you were Amanda, did you?"

She sobbed, fighting ineffectively to escape. "Stuart..."

All of a sudden, his weight was gone. He was stood at the end of the bed, watching her with a peculiar expression on his face. "Bathroom's through there," he said abruptly, gesturing to the left. "Get cleaned up."

He turned and walked out, and she practically hurtled into the bathroom, locking it behind her and collapsing to the floor, hands pressed against her mouth to muffle the gasping sobs that wouldn't stop coming.

Eddie was quick to move into action, practically ordering around the officers as he got himself ready. Pocketing his phone now it was no use, he stood and waited for them to follow his lead as he practically begged them to get into their cars.

"But sir.."

"No, we need to move." Eddie cut off their protests, heading towards the door without checking if they were following. If he needed to, he'd go alone.

Alison watched Eddie in action, almost as if he was moving into battle, and knew she needed to try something. She was doing it for Michael upstairs, and knew Rachel would want her to do the same. She placed herself in front of the door before Eddie could get there, making sure she had his full attention before she began. "Liverpool is huge, Eddie. You have no idea where to even start." She placed her hands on the top of his arms to emphasise her point, not wanting him to head into the lion's den when his head wasn't thinking straight. "What would Rachel want you to do? She'd want you here, safe and cooperating with the police."

Eddie listened to Alison's words, and he really did agree with her. He knew Rachel wouldn't want her chasing her and leading himself into danger, but he knew was he needed to do. He carefully moved Alison's arms off of him and looked at her warmly. "He's bad news Alison. I'm absolutely terrified, and I refuse to let Rachel be with him for another second." He reasoned, trying to keep his voice calm to avoid getting himself worked up once again. "Michael is safe upstairs, and I need to know that. But Rachel is pregnant, and I need to protect my other child." He was practically begging, for reasons he didn't know. He was going after Rachel either way, but he didn't want to part on bad terms either.

Alison heard the words and stood back immediately, suddenly understanding Eddie on an entirely new level. She knew he'd of gone after Rachel, but the added heartbreak of knowing she was carrying their child was something Alison could understand. "Be safe, for God's sake." She moved back and turned to face the police, who had been watching the exchange whilst talking amongst themselves about their next steps. "He won't give up, so someone might as well go with him."

"Sir, we have your wife's last location before the phone was switched off so we can head there. With your cooperation, we will hopefully be able to find her safely." Eddie nodded his agreement and promised to keep Alison updated, taking a seat in the back of the police car as it was his way to get to Liverpool the quickest. He didn't care how he got there, who he needed to converse with or how long it took. He only wanted to try his very hardest to get to Rachel as soon as possible and ensure she was kept out of harms way.

Unfortunately, that location simply lead them to a road, not even on the outskirts of Liverpool yet. But it did indicate which route Stuart had taken, and thankfully when it was mentioned that they were on the trail of a kidnapped pregnant woman, no one asked for a warrant when they requested CCTV footage.

"Sir." One of the constables waved him over. "Is that your wife?"

The footage was grainy and miscoloured, but Eddie was certain. "That's Rachel."

It was difficult to see what was going on- it looked as if she had her eyes closed, but there were so many possibilities for that, he knew. Was she asleep? Drugged? Injured? It grated at him to have to stay and wait while the police murmured amongst themselves, radioing control every so often and generally not looking like they were anxious enough. He knew they were though, and so kept a lid on his temper.

It paid off- now they knew the car Hordley was driving, he was being tracked. Eddie didn't really understand it, but suddenly they had a search area, where they knew the car had been driven into but never reappeared from. But they were miles behind, and so the knowledge didn't ease his worries one bit.

Rachel warily watched Stuart move about the flat, not daring to even shift position from where he'd sat her. She'd just pulled herself together enough to pull herself upright to wash her face in the sink, when he'd come banging on the bathroom door. She'd barely opened it when he'd been grabbing her arm, hauling her out and for a sickening moment, she thought he was going to manoeuvre her back towards the bed but instead, he'd shoved her onto a stall at the kitchen island, and was now muttering to himself as he apparently searched for something.

A small, triumphant noise told her he'd found it. She quickly ducked her head, breathing shakily and so jumped when a glass was slid in front of her.

"Drink."

For a moment, she was confused. And then she saw the bottle in his hand, and hastily shook her head. "I can't. I'm pregnant!"

"You will drink it!" He grabbed her hand, shoved the glass into it but she thrust it away from her, sloshing some over the sides.

"No!"

He looked apoplectic, and she took a gamble. "It could cause me to miscarry," she told him. "I don't think you want the possibility of me haemorrhaging to death to deal with as well."

His expression turned uncertain, and he glanced from the bottle and back to her a few times. "Well then," he said eventually, "let's make another deal. Stop fighting me, and I won't force it down your throat and take my chances."

His fingers trailed down her throat, and she shuddered. "Why? Why does this matter so much to you?"

"Because you're always going to remember this," he murmured, guiding her off of the stall and over to the sofa. She didn't dare resist. "No matter what happens in the future, you're always going to know you broke your marriage vows. Always have that memory of another man inside you, and know it was me."

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks but he merely fisted his hand in her hair, yanking her head backwards to press his lips to her neck.

"No!"

She couldn't stop herself from attempting to pull away, but was stopped by the feeling of his hand against her lower stomach. "How long do you think it will take me to find a method online to rid you of this?" he asked, almost conversationally. "I'm betting mere minutes. And that's only if my methods don't work first."

He clenched his hand, pushed harder, to the point of pain.

"Stop it!"

Immediately, the pressure was gone. "I wanted you to choose me because you wanted to. But I can live with you choosing me because the other option is worse. Me and your baby, or neither of us, Amanda. That's your choice."

She blinked away tears, hopelessness washing over her. No one was coming, and even if they were they weren't going to be here on time. She turned her head to look at him- he released the grip on her hair just enough to allow the movement, their faces inches apart.

Eddie, I'm sorry, she thought. And pressed her lips to Stuart's.

She tried her hardest to swallow the overwhelming feeling of sickness as her mouth touched his, trying but failing to keep her thoughts at bay as she did what she had to. It was the only way for her to escape unharmed, physically unharmed at least. She prayed Eddie would understand, hoped he'd know she was only doing it for their baby. "Stuart please.." She found herself mumbling against his mouth, hoping to reach any compassion he may have deep down and stop the situation before it was taken too far.

"No Rachel, you're mine."

His words were so final, his hold on her arms so tight that Rachel knew he would be leaving marks. But bruises on her arms were the least of her worries as Stuart's kisses turned more frantic, and she could feel herself shaking at his touch. The feeling of sickness didn't leave, and Rachel wasn't sure if it was his touch or her pregnancy that was making her feel such a way but she was sure that she was about to be sick at any second. "Get off me." She tried, thrashing around and fighting against his weight as she felt the need to run to the bathroom.

"I said no."

His grip tightened, holding her to the bed as she struggled to get herself up and away from him. It wasn't even about his plans to what he wanted to achieve, it was purely down to Rachel's very real bout of nausea that was showing no signs of stopping no matter how much air she gulped in. "You're hurting me, I think I'm going to be sick." She pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried out and kicked her legs. Luckily Stuart had stopped kissing her body, her skin still on fire in every part that his lips had touched. She felt filthy, her mind transporting her back to her teenage years and the overwhelming sadness she did what she needed to do in order to survive.

"Stop stalling, for gods sake woman. I'm sure you didn't protest this much before. Stop struggling." He moved against her body and ripped her shirt in doing so, the buttons flying across the room and leaving her exposed to him. He eyed the new skin on display with such a hunger that it made Rachel's skin crawl, and she didn't see a way out from here. Stuart wasn't going to believe her protests, wasn't going to allow her to get up. She was only putting herself and therefore her baby in harms way as she continued to fight him.

In the space of a split second, Rachel's world was turned on its head as the door was thrown open and Stuart released his grip momentarily due to the shock of such a loud noise in a previously quiet room. It was enough time for Rachel for move, and she bolted to the toilet without giving their guests a second thought. For all she knew, Stuart had invited friends over but that paled in comparison to her need as she landed on the floor by the toilet and emptied her stomach into it. She clutched the porcelain bowl so hard that her knuckles were white, hearing footsteps approach as she braced herself for another fight now she'd had the chance to throw up. She felt someone kneel beside her and it wasn't until she heard the voice that she allowed herself to collapse into sobs.

"I'm here Rach, I've got you."

She didn't know how he was there, had no idea how he'd found her but couldn't bring herself to care- she threw herself into his arms and he pulled her into his lap, cradling her as she wept against him.

"I've got you," he repeated, closing his eyes and sending up a silent thanks. He'd been the one through the door- the police had wanted to wait for local officers to arrive, since they technically had jurisdiction. He'd disagreed and gone ahead anyway, the officers scrambling to catch up with him. He'd seen Stuart on top of Rachel, caught a brief glimpse of the state she was in before she'd fled and had been hard pressed to decide whether to go after his wife or fling Hordley out the window.

Rachel had won- she always would.

She was still crying, even harder than before, gasping breaths that told him she was struggling to breathe through the sobs. "You're alright now," he soothed, running a hand along her back. "I've got you, I promise. Baby, you have to calm down, you're going to make yourself pass out."

All he could do was hold her. At one point, there as movement behind him and he stiffened slightly, guessing it was the police but thankfully, they retreated and they were left alone.

It took a while for Rachel to progress to hiccuping sobs, and it was almost worse. "I'm sorry," she gasped out, and he stroked her hair back from her face.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, darling."

But she shook her head. "I didn't want to. I swear I didn't want to."

She began to weep harder again, clutching at him even as his stomach fell through the floor. Had they been too late? Was what they'd prevented only round two from Hordley?

He rocked her helplessly, murmuring words he knew wouldn't comfort her but that he couldn't stop from spilling out anyway. More movement from behind him had him glancing up warily- one of the officers held out a blanket, and Eddie shot her a grateful look. "Paramedics are waiting when you're ready," she said softly, before quietly withdrawing again.

He wrapped it around her, tucking it in place. His legs had fallen asleep beneath him- he'd made the mistake of kneeling, and he had no chance of standing up. Carefully he slid his arms beneath her, cradling her to his chest so he could twist and stretch his legs in front of him instead, resettling her onto his lap. Very slowly, Rachel had begun to calm down, the sobs no longer rocking her whole body. He didn't loosen his grip any, pressing kisses into her hair. "I was so worried," he whispered, and she pressed her face into his neck.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for. Nothing, Rachel."

She let out a sound that was almost a whimper, clinging to him even more tightly and it was his turn to swallow back his nausea as he wondered exactly what his wife had been through.

"Police have tonight released a statement following the abduction of a pregnant woman from her home earlier this evening. The unnamed woman was driven over an hour away by her captor, before being rescued by police. Detective Inspector Roslin spoke at a press conference at the local station."

"We can tonight confirm a police operation across multiple forces, which has resulted in the successful retrieval of a woman who being held under duress by at least one assailant, who is now in custody. The woman-whose identity we are not releasing at this time- was forced from her home in Rochdale into a car under threat of harm to her unborn child. We believe that this was a targeted attack, and members of the public should not be concerned for their safety. The operation, which included officers from-,"

Eddie abruptly switched the TV off. The room was oddly silent, despite the beeping and alarms from outside.

He was in some sort of family room- Rachel had been ushered away when they'd arrived at the hospital, while he was directed here. The officer who'd been with him had vanished a while back, and all anyone would tell him was that they were currently examining Rachel, and that someone would come and update him soon.

Soon had passed quite a while ago for him.

Losing patience, he rose, heading towards the area he knew they'd taken Rachel. It was easy enough to find- there were two police officers stood talking quietly outside the door, and just as he approached a nurse exited the room, closing the door behind her. She clocked him, looked uncomfortable for a split second before plastering a neutral expression on. "Mr Lawson?"

"How's Rachel?"

"She's fine. Physically she has a few bumps and bruises, but the doctors want her to stay for observation for a little while."

"Can I see her?"

She hesitated.

"What?"

"She doesn't want to see you," she admitted. "She's asked not to see anyone."

A knot formed in his stomach. "Okay."

She looked surprised, but he just walked away. What she didn't know, however, was that he had a minor advantage- he'd been here before, after a school trip gone wrong at his previous school and he knew that the corridor formed a square. He simply walked around the loop and sure enough, by the time he'd returned she was gone, the police officers distracted a little way down the corridor.

He slipped inside. Rachel was curled up, facing away from him but he could see how tensely she was holding herself. "It's only me, sweetheart."

She didn't reply, even as he softly crossed the room. "You don't want to talk to me, that's fine. But I'm not leaving you alone. I can't."

He sat beside her, the only sound her ragged breathing.

"You don't understand."

Her voice was ravaged by tears, so soft he'd have missed it if there was any other noise in the room.

"Then tell me."

"You should go."

He raised an eyebrow. "Our house is currently a crime scene, I have nowhere to go. Besides, I've spent the last few hours convinced I might never seen you again- I'm not letting you out of my sight."

She let out a small sob, and guilt pooled in his stomach. "I'm sorry, love. Don't cry."

She rolled and swung her legs off the trolley before his brain caught up, dropping onto his lap with her arms wound around his neck. "Please don't hate me. I didn't want to."

That sinking feeling in his chest returned. "Rachel, I love you. Nothing could ever change that, I promise."

He didn't even know what had happened, hadn't heard her events but he knew that no matter what, his stance wouldn't change. His entire life had become solely focused on protecting this woman and their children, and that wasn't about to change no matter what came from her mouth. He moved his arms more firmly around her and was grateful that she was finally accepting his contact, glad he didn't give up and accept her not wanting to see him.

Rachel felt his arms tighten around her and lifted her head, grateful to have such a stubborn husband. She hasn't truly wanted to be alone, but wasn't sure how to communicate her feelings either. She was ashamed, convinced she'd failed in her first task as a mother as her child could have been harmed in any way Stuart saw fit. She had the examinations, a scan that had confirmed her baby was perfectly fine, but that didn't stop the overwhelming feeling of guilt she felt whenever she felt her hand skim past her stomach. She'd failed her child and she'd failed Eddie, broken her marriage vows in a fit of desperation. She could barely look at him without her thoughts returning to being trapped with Stuart, no way out and backed into a corner to do something she definitely didn't want to. She knew she needed to talk to him, needed to let him in if they had any chance of getting past this. But for now, she wanted to close her eyes and pretend none of this was real. "Will you hold me?" Rachel asked delicately, her voice almost a whisper as if scared of what answer her husband would give.

Eddie answered immediately, gathering her in his arms as if she weighed nothing and walking them both towards the bed in the room. He placed her on it before climbing next to her, not stopping to think of if the bed could actually hold both of their weight as he joined her. His arms were back around her before she could even notice they had gone, and he placed a delicate kiss to her forehead as he looked down at her face from his position. "No matter what happened Rachel, I'm right here. I will hold you forever if you'd left me." His words rang so true that he felt the tears gather in his eyes once more, overcome with emotion at how close he'd come to losing her. "I was so scared, and now? Nothing else matters. No matter what he did, what he made you do, you're safe. He won't get to you again." He promises, hoping that Rachel understood the lengths he was willing to go to ensure that she was kept out of harms way.

Rachel swiped at his tears that were now spilling down his cheeks, her own making their tracks down her face as she took in his words. She'd been so scared that he'd never forgive her, that he'd be truly disgusted with her actions and what she was willing to do to keep herself and their baby alive. "He didn't touch me, not like that. He tried, but I struggled." She closed her eyes as she relived her nightmare, her body shivering as if she could still smell Stuart's presence.

"Rach, stop this. We don't need to.. not now, not ever. You don't need to tell me, I love you." Eddie rambled, not wanting to push her into revealing anything she wasn't comfortable with. He felt her shaking, her body wracked with emotion as her eyes closed when she spoke.

Rachel shook her head, needing to continue and get out what she had planned in her head in order to make her husband understand. "No Eddie, I need to tell you. He didn't touch me, but he wanted to. And I'd of let him." She admitted, feeling another bout of sickness override her senses as she spoke her deepest secret. "I'd of let him if it kept our baby alive, and I feel disgusting. You should hate me, just like I hate myself." She crumbled into her own tears, losing herself to her sobs as she pressed her face against his chest and waited for him to leave. She was prepared to him to walk out, to suddenly miss his presence from beside her and to be left alone as a punishment for everything she had been through.

Instead, he only held her tighter, lips pressed to her hair. "Never," he whispered. "Rachel, never."

She wept harder, curled into him with her fingers twisted in his shirt so tightly her knuckles were white, the material pulling uncomfortably. He payed it no mind, his sole focus on his wife as she cried against him. "You don't understand!"

"I don't have to. What happened to you, any of it, it is not your fault, sweetheart. Not a single thing."

"I kissed him!"

That, he froze at. "What?"

"He made me choose." A shudder ran through her, her voice breaking. "If I wouldn't… if I didn't let him, he was going to force a miscarriage. He'd already threatened to force me to drink alcohol, he had his hand on my stomach… he was so much stronger than I am, I couldn't stop him. He made me choose, so I chose him."

He swallowed thickly, carefully shoving the wave of nausea he felt down. He could deal with his own feelings later. "No, you didn't. You chose our baby. Rachel, you weren't there willingly, choosing because you're being threatened to isn't a choice."

She let out a sob. "I can't get him off me, Eddie. I can still feel him."

"He can't hurt you," he promised her. "He'll never hurt you again. It's just me here. Just me."

He thought his own heart would break as she sobbed as if hers was, clinging to him like a child and too upset to even be comforted. All he could do was hold her, so he did, as tightly as he dared and never releasing her even when his arms began to ache and cramp.

He wasn't aware of the nurse re-entering the room, an admonishment on the tip of her tongue when she saw him, only to die when she realised the state her patient was in. Instead, she retreated, softly closing the door and informing the police that they weren't to be disturbed for a while.

Eventually, Rachel sobs tapered off, her grip relaxing and for a while, Eddie thought she had just cried herself out. Until he realised that her breathing had evened out as well, and that his wife had cried herself to sleep. Painstakingly carefully, he shifted her weight so that he could rest back, reducing the way her neck was awkwardly bent- the trolley was in no way big enough for the two of them, but he gathered her to him and thought he preferred the excuse to hold her anyway.

He dozed off for brief stretches of time, the position or location they were in not conducive to proper sleep. Every so often, Rachel would cry out in her sleep, Hordley tormenting her through her dreams. Eddie woke each time, murmuring to her meaningless comfort that sometimes soothed her, sometimes didn't. More than once, she woke up, eyes glazed and fighting Eddie's grip. And each time, he only held her more tightly until she recognised where she was, recognised her husband's voice and touch at which point she would break down again, apologies tumbling from her lips amongst her sobs.

After one such episode, she refused to go back to sleep and so was awake for the nurse coming in to check on her, as she'd been doing for hours now. She ran through a set of questions, made some notes on the chart and then looked at the both, Eddie now sat back in the chair while Rachel perched on the edge of the trolley. "The police are outside, they want to talk to you."

"It's the middle of the night-!" Eddie protested, frowning, but Rachel shook her head.

"No, let them. I want this over."

She nodded, leaving the room and Eddie looked at his wife worriedly. "Rach, you don't have to do this now. It's two in the morning."

"I want to. And then I never have to do it again."

Two plainclothes officers entered, and a resigned Eddie rose to leave. This apparently hadn't occurred to Rachel, who stiffened with wide, panicked eyes. "Eddie, please stay!"

"I don't think I'm allowed to, love."

The woman who'd come in nodded. "We would prefer to conduct this interview alone, Mrs Lawson."

She swallowed thickly, but Eddie just shot her a reassuring look. "I'll be right outside, Rach, I promise." He crossed to her, pressed a kiss to her forehead and nodded to the officers as he walked out, not daring to look back. Because he knew that if he did, he'd never find it in him to leave her alone.

Eddie made it as far as the two small chairs parked not fair down the corridor before he collapsed, legs giving out beneath him, head in his hands as he finally let his own emotions out.

It was after Eddie had shed most of his tears that he took a hold of himself, knowing that he needed to be ready for whenever Rachel needed him. Whatever had happened, whatever he was feeling himself, Rachel was doing the double. She had the guilt and the real life experience to deal with the trauma that had come from the encounter with Stuart, and Eddie found himself feeling guilty for allowing the moment of weakness whilst his wife delivered her story to the police. He shook himself and quickly stood up, taking out his phone and seeing multiple missed calls from different people. Alison was amongst them, so he sent a text to inform her they were all safe and to kiss Michael for the both of them before starting to devise a plan of how to proceed at getting Rachel to feel safe again. It would take a lot, her entire life had been turned upside down. She had been assaulted in the one place that Eddie knew she considered her safe haven, so that's where he decided to start. They had spoken about getting a new house for when the baby arrived anyway, wanting more space for them and a bigger garden for their children, so Eddie felt it was the perfect time to get the process moving. Rachel wouldn't want to return home to a place she felt unsafe, so he vowed to find them somewhere to stay in which they could both truly relax after their ordeal. As he scrolled through listings on his phone, he was approached by a policeman and immediately gave him his full attention. "How is she?" He asked, scared of the answer he was about to receive. Rachel wasn't used to feeling weak, often took pride in just how well she managed to handle most situations thrown her way. But now it was Eddie's turn, and he was prepared to welcome whatever was thrown his way as long as it meant Rachel and their baby was safe and finally out of harms way. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forgive himself for allowing Rachel to be alone with Stuart Hordley for so long, but those were demons he would deal with in his own time.

"She's asking for you."

Eddie stood immediately, taking off in the direction of the room he came from as he opened the door without a second thought. He didn't care what sight would greet him, only that Rachel had needed him and he wasn't going to let her down. To his surprise, he didn't open the door to find her sobbing or in need of a shoulder to cry on to. She was sat up, nursing a cup of tea between her hands and exchanging pleasantries with another officer despite the early hours. "Rach?" Eddie asked delicately, not wanting to startle her but needing to know what had happened.

Rachel locked eyes with her husband and gestured for him to move closer, holding out her hand for him to take as she placed down the mug and welcomed him into her space. For some reason, hearing from the officers that there was nothing more she could have done had calmed her down no end, despite hearing it from Eddie multiple times. She still felt guilt, knew her husband would say whatever was required in order to make her feel better. Only their reassurance that she did everything right to keep herself and her baby safe was exactly what Rachel had needed to hear, and made her feel stronger and sit taller as she waited on Eddie to make a reappearance after she'd finished with her statement. She'd also been promised that Stuart wouldn't be allowed bale due to being seen as a risk to the public, so would be staying behind bars until the trial. "I'm fine Eddie, I'm right here. I'm sorry you lost me for a moment." She admitted, accepting his arm around her as he pulled her close once they were finally alone.

"You have nothing to apologise for." He kisses the top of her head sweetly and was grateful she accepted it, glad she didn't shy away from his touch or flinch at the feeling of his lips. "I've been thinking, we need to move. Somewhere new, somewhere you feel safe. I don't want you going back there if you don't want to."

"No." She shook her head. "I won't let him take our home from us, Eddie."

"Sweetheart…"

"No. He has affected our lives for long enough, I'm tired of everything revolving around him. For goodness' sake, half the staff have been giving up their non-contact time for weeks now because of him. He doesn't get anymore."

He sighed, pressed another kiss to her head. "I know you feel strongly about this. But we were talking about moving anyway…"

"Yes, in a few years, if we needed the space. Our house is big enough for us two, a baby and a part-time toddler." She glanced up, saw the look on his face. "Besides," she added, "the last thing I need during this pregnancy is the stress of moving house, and I'm certainly not doing it with a baby underfoot."

"And going back there isn't going to be stressful?"

She grimaced. "No more than going back to school will be."

"They haven't released your name."

"Small mercies," she sighed. "They'll release his, though, and Tom and the others will piece it together."

"I'm glad of that."

She shot him a look, and he shrugged. "Sorry, but I am. If they know, they can support you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't need a babysitter."

"I know, I'm not saying you do. But maybe someone other than me to talk to will be helpful."

She made a small noise that was neither an agreement nor a disagreement, fingers lacing through his. "They're going to discharge me soon. We have nowhere to go."

"Already?"

She looked sheepish. "They wanted to keep me on a ward overnight. I refused."

"Rachel!"

"You would have had to leave," she defended quickly, and his protest stopped in its tracks. "And I couldn't stay overnight by myself. I just… couldn't. I'll have another appointment in a few days, and I'll go straight to the local hospital if I feel funny. But don't ask me to go spend the next few hours alone in a hospital bed, Eddie. I can't do it."

"It's your choice."

He actually felt her relax, leaning against him more heavily. She was wrung out, he recognised, and they were still at least an hour from Rochdale, and neither had any close friends or family even vaguely locally that they could stay with. He sighed, turning it over in his mind.

They were saved by the reappearance of the detective from earlier, who after some more conversation, offered a solution. "We'll put you up in a hotel until you can get back into your house. Here in the city tonight, but somewhere in Rochdale from there on."

Eddie shot her a grateful smile. It didn't solve every problem, but it solved the biggest one.

Rachel was never let go of his hand as he guided her up to the hotel room- the hotel was nice, and she was petrified the room would echo the apartment she'd been taken to. But to her relief, when she stepped through, she was greeted by warm colours and muted woods, not the harsh monochrome she'd been dreading.

"I'm going to have a shower," she said quietly to Eddie, fiddling with the hem of the scrub top she'd been given to wear. He frowned slightly.

"It's four am…"

"I know. I just… I need to get him off me." She avoided looking at his expression, slipped away into the bathroom. He sighed, looking out over the city- it wasn't quite beginning to stir yet, but he knew it would soon, the early birds waking for the day. He stripped off his jacket, slung it over the back of a chair as he waited patiently for his wife.

When she didn't emerge, he went looking.

"Rach?" He didn't want to intrude, but it had been a while. She didn't reply, and so he stepped into the bathroom, peering through the thick steam. "Are you boiling yourself in here?"

His joke went unanswered, and his stomach dropped. He moved in further, confused when he found the shower empty… until his gaze saw Rachel huddled on the floor beneath the spray. "Sweetheart?"

"I can't get him off me," she croaked. "I can still feel his mouth, smell his aftershave…"

The sight before him had Eddie crumbling to his knees beside her, not even stopping to turn off the shower as he reached for her and pulled her close to him. He was soaked to the bone in no time, but barely registered that as he longed to take a hold of her and take her away from any pain she was feeling. He gathered her against him, pressing his lips to hers under the spray of the water and feeling her clutch at his shirt in response. He didn't know what else to do other than distract her with his lips, hoping he'd be able to ground her and convince her that she was able to feel something other than Stuart Hordley.

Rachel responded immediately, losing herself in the feeling of him and the comfort he brought to her. It wasn't until his hands skimmed her arms that she pulled back with force, shocking them both with the intensity of her actions. "Eddie.. I can't." As soon as she pulled away, she caught sight of the hurt look that crossed his features and immediately felt guilty. "I don't mean like that, you're not him. I know that."

Eddie felt the guilt pour through him like kryptonite, mentally berating himself for getting carried away and being stupid enough to think he would be able to make her forget the trauma she had been through. "I want to be able to help you, tell me what to do baby, please.." He begged, voice breaking as he finally noticed the water around them turning cold.

"I can't, you know.. not tonight. I don't have the energy. But I want to forget." She pressed her lips to his again, more forcefully this time and hoping he was picking up on her thought process. "Make me forget Eddie."

"Rach, are you sure?" He asked more delicately, not wanting to take advantage of her vulnerable state even if it did only involve kissing and holding her.

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded, pressing her forehead to his as she reached behind them to finally turn off the water. "I want my life back." She finally admitted, looking across at Eddie as she took hold of his hand and laced their fingers together. "I want my job back, without everyone I work with looking at me with pity and asking if I'm okay every 30 seconds. I want to be able to take my stepson to the park without looking over my shoulder and jumping whenever I hear a scream from nearby. I want to be able to sit in my front room and not jump when someone knocks on the door. I want to be able to enjoy the fact that I'm pregnant, that I'm finally having a baby with the love of my life and not be scared that someone is going to come and take that away from me. And I want you, my darling husband, to be able to touch me without me flinching. I want you to kiss me, to hold me, and to not look at me like I'm going to break or like you've done something wrong." The water tracing her cheeks had nothing to do with the shower as she walked them both from the cubicle and reached for the towels, allowing Eddie to take charge in wrapping them both up in the same one whilst holding her around the waist to keep them close.

It wasn't until they were both dry and bundled under fresh dressing gowns and clean sheets that Eddie found his voice to reply to her, her settled against his chest whilst his fingers traced patterns across her still flat stomach. "I hear you Rach, I hear you completely. I just... don't want you to rush anything." He admitted, scared of what reaction he may entice from her which would be completely out of both their hands. Even though it's what she said she wanted at the moment, Eddie wasn't sure he would be able to take Rachel feeling even an ounce of regret afterwards and knowing that any part of that was down to him.

"Please don't treat me like I'm broken, Eddie. Not you."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "You're not broken, sweetheart."

"I feel it." Her voice cracked, her whole body shuddering as she struggled not to break into sobs. His heart clenched, helplessness washing over him.

"You're not," he murmured desperately. "I promise, you're not. You're going to be alright."

He kissed away the tears that had spilled over to her cheeks, arms practically cradling her. "Eddie, please…"

He felt like he was drowning. He didn't know what she wanted, didn't know what he should or shouldn't do. What would help or heal her… or just harm her more. The only conclusion he could come up with was to be gentle, no matter what and so when she desperately pulled his face down to meet hers, he made a concerted effort to ignore her almost-harsh movements, lightening the pressure and refusing to bow to her desperation.

He left her lips to kiss along her jaw and her hand slid around the back of his neck, urging him on. He acquiesced, moving down, across the side of her throat.

She gasped, and shoved him away.

As soon as she realised, her face crumpled. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay…"

"No, it's not!" She buried her face in her hands. "I know it's you, I know it's not him but I can't stop feeling his mouth instead!"

Anger ran through him at the idea of someone else with their lips on his wife, but he shoved it down, ruthlessly burying it. He reached for her, pretending not the notice the way she flinched away for a moment, before moving towards his touch. "It's okay," he repeated.

"I want to forget." He could feel her tears against his shoulder, felt her fingers dig in, almost painfully.

"I know," he murmured. "But not like this. This isn't the way."

"Please, Eddie?" she stretched up to kiss him, hands moving to divest him of his clothes. He pressed his own hand over them, stopping her.

"No, love."

She reared back, looking hurt. "You don't want me?"

"I always want you." He raised her hands to his mouth, pressed a kiss to the backs of them. "But not tonight. Not like this." She didn't reply, simply remained silent as she watched him. He could see the exhaustion lining her face, the way she held herself so stiffly. "You're so tired, sweetheart. Come here."

She allowed him to guide her down, his arm securely around her but careful not to pin her. "Go to sleep," he whispered, tightening his grip for a moment. "I'll be right here."

Her fingers twisted into his top once again, her face burying into his shoulder. He was careful not to move, not to disturb her and it seemed no time at all before her breathing evened out, the tension leaking out of her muscles. But he didn't sleep- he couldn't, even as the clock on the wall ticked around and around.

The few times that Rachel began to wake, he was quick to murmur reassurances, successful in soothing her back to sleep before she'd even fully come out of it. And when, hours later, he realised it was now past the time people would be waking up, he was careful to extract himself without jostling her, looking back to the bed to see her curled tightly into a ball.

He left the door of the bathroom slightly ajar so that he could hear her as he dialled on his mobile.

"Do you know how early it is?"

Tom's irritated voice answered, and he winced. "Sorry."

"What is it?"

"Have you watched the news?"

"I saw last nights. Why?" he could hear the confusion in his voice.

"Rach and I won't be in for the rest of the week. I need you to cover with the kids. Rachel they might not even notice but I'll need a cover for my classes."

"What? Why? And why me?"

"Because I trust you more than the others," Eddie said bluntly. "Get Davina and Jasmine to help you if you need to. The paperwork's all labelled, there shouldn't be an issue."

"Eddie, what's going on? Is Rachel all right?"

Eddie was silent for a moment. "She will be. Call me if there's an emergency. Otherwise I should be in next week. Thanks Tom."

He quickly hung up, and let out a sigh. Not that they could call Rachel, he thought, what with her mobile being somewhere along the side of the M62. But at least they wouldn't try the house or anything. He moved back to the bedroom, where Rachel was still fast asleep, though she looked far from peaceful and he had to look away, silently cursing the day Stuart Hordley had walked into their lives.

It's always said that the road to recovery is a slow process, but Rachel wasn't sure it was meant to be so literal. It had taken her days before she was able to not flinch whenever Eddie approached her, even longer than that before she stopped jumping at the sound of a door opening or closing. They were finally allowed home, and Rachel had tried her hardest to convince Eddie that she was perfectly fine being there. It wasn't until he came home from collecting papers from Waterloo Road that Rachel finally admitted that maybe she wasn't coping as well as she thought, seeing as his absence for no longer than an hour had ended with her ringing a locksmiths and arranging for all locks on the house to be changed the very next day if she agreed to pay double.

Eddie didn't argue, agreed with any means that meant Rachel could feel safe again in her own home. He continued to tell her that they could move, but his wife was a stubborn woman at the best of times, and was adamant that she would not be forced from her house by Stuart Hordley or anyone else. He tried his hardest to keep her stress levels down, wanting her to enjoy the remainder of her pregnancy so had taken to reading parenting books and downloading apps that told them the size of their baby compared to different fruit and animals. Even though he had Michael, he wanted Rachel to feel like they were a team and doing this together. In all honesty, since Michael's early years were tainted with the grief that came with losing Steven, Eddie truly did feel like this would be his first time at parenting a newborn. That came with its own feelings of guilt, but he knew he had more than enough years to make it up to his son.

Talking of the baby seemed the only thing that served as the only thing to truly lift Rachel's spirits, as even on her darkest days, she was able to smile at the reminder of their impending new arrival and the new chapter this would mean for the both of them. Michael offered his own distraction, luckily that Alison was understanding and on hand to come and collect him if Rachel ever felt overwhelmed. But she was grateful for the presence of the little boy, able to channel her worries and overwhelming guilt into the love she had for him and use him as a reason to get out of bed each morning.

Another was work, and Rachel had made it her mission to return to the school as soon as she was given the all clear. Eddie was completely against it, which Rachel expected he would be, but gave a very convincing argument that she needed her life to be back to normal as quickly as possible. Rachel firmly believed that if she was able to return to work, then her mind would once again be occupied and her life would be back on track in no time. As she walked towards the front door on a fresh Monday morning, she felt more powerful than she had in a long time. Dressed in her favourite suit and silk shirt, she smoothed down the silver material and cast a final look in the mirror to check her appearance. She spotted Eddie behind her and resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing he was even more nervous than she was. "Please don't ask me if I'm okay. You've asked 25 times this morning alone." She teased him gently, wanting nothing more than their banter to return and their work dynamic to remain in tact despite the recent ordeal.

Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the side of her head, locking eyes with her in the mirror as his hands rested on her stomach. She wasn't showing, not to anyone that wasn't focused on her belly. But Eddie was convinced he could see the start of a baby bump, and had made Rachel pose in their bedroom every morning for the past week so he could track the growth each day. "I wasn't going to. I just wanted to say.. I'm proud of you. And if you ever feel like you need to come home.."

Now, Rachel really did roll her eyes. She turned to look him dead on and fixed him with the hardest glare she could muster. "For gods sake, Eddie, I can do this."

"I worry about you," he said defensively, pulling away from her. "I'm allowed."

He saw irritation flash across her face. "And I've told you I'm fine. You're my husband, not my sitter Eddie. I don't need you hovering."

"Well, we both know that hasn't been true!" he snapped without thinking. She flinched, before her face darkened.

"It's a shame you weren't this worried before Stuart decided to pay me a visit!" she hissed. "Maybe then I wouldn't be so obviously inconveniencing you now!"

He reared back, jaw dropping. "You blame me?"

"You're so hypocritical! Whenever I was worried about Stuart, you didn't believe me and thought I was overreacting! And now that he can't actually do anything, now you decide to stay glued to my side!"

"Rachel, it was not my fault!"

Her eyes flashed. "Wasn't it? I told you I didn't think it was over, I told you I didn't trust him not to come back but you brushed me off! None of this would have happened if you weren't so sure you're always right!"

The pain of her words took his breath away, grief and helplessness welling in his chest but he couldn't allow himself to feel that, couldn't crumple in front of her like he felt like he might and so instead he grasped at the flicker of anger he felt, and stoked it as high as he could. "And I suppose you're never wrong! It's not like you were foolish enough to get in a car with him... oh wait, yes, you were!"

Her jaw dropped. "And what would you have had me do instead?"

"I don't know Rachel! You say none of this would have happened if not for me, did you ever think about that fact that Hordley wouldn't have ever entered our lives if you hadn't-,"

He cut himself off, realising too late he was about to go too far. But the damage had been done- Rachel looked like she'd been slapped, physically stepping back. "Go on," she dared him hoarsely. "Finish."

"Rachel..."

"If I hadn't been a prostitute," she completed instead, feeling as if the floor had fallen away from beneath her.

"Rach... I didn't mean-,"

"Yes, you did." Unshed tears shone in her eyes, pure pain etched into her face and he couldn't stop himself from reaching for her.

"Rachel-,"

"DON'T!"

He froze, hands dropping away as she recoiled from his touch. "Sweetheart..."

"Don't touch me."

And he shattered all over again as she backed away from him, voice breaking and thick before she turned and walking away.

Eddie threw himself into teaching his classes, grateful- for once- that he had a full day. Rachel didn't even attempt her paperwork; when her office became too enclosing, she escaped and found herself sat on the steps at the back of the school, arms wrapped around herself as she wept silently.

"Rachel?" Davina was stood behind her, eyeing her with worried look on her face. "Are you okay?"

She hurriedly wiped the wetness from beneath her eyes, inwardly knowing it would do no good. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Rachel couldn't even bring herself to reply. After a few seconds, Davina lowered herself to sit next to her. "I know that you're my boss, and we're not exactly friends. But you can talk to me."

"I wouldn't even know where to start."

Davina bit her lip. "I know what happened to you," she said quietly, and Rachel whipped her head around to look at her, eyes wide. "Well, the basics," she amended quickly.

"How?"

"What we already knew, plus the news, plus yours and Eddie's behaviour." She looked sheepish. "It wasn't hard to work out. Hordley abducted you."

She looked away, swallowing thickly and gave her a single nod of confirmation.

"Did he...?"

"No." She didn't even look up. "But he wanted to. And now..."

She trailed off, not knowing why she was talking to Davina about this. But the blonde had no judgement, simply tilted her head sympathetically. "You feel like he's always standing behind you, ready to jump out and finish the job any moment?"

Rachel looked at her in shock, and Davina shrugged slightly. "When I was young, and stupid and thought I was invincible, I went travelling abroad. Got drunk in a bar, met a guy who flattered me and bought me drinks- I agreed to go home with him. Only he had a group of friends waiting. I got away... just. Had nightmares for months and I still can't go near tequila."

Rachel was silent for a while, processing that. "How did you do it? Move on?"

"Honestly? Time. It took months before I could enter a room with having to brace myself."

She swallowed harshly. "I flinch every time Eddie comes near me," she admitted quietly. "I've gotten better at hiding it, controlling it but it's there. I don't know how to stop it."

"He'll understand."

But she shook her head. "I keep snapping at him. He's been so patient, and he tries so hard but how can I tell him that half the time he's touching me I'm praying he'd stop? And this morning... I said something awful, and he said something awful back and now... we're falling apart and I don't know how to stop it."

"Eddie worships you." Davina refuses to believe it. "You're not falling apart."

But Rachel wasn't so But Rachel wasn't so sure. Marriages failed for far less than they'd been through, and she was so tired of fighting all the time. Tears pricked at her eyes again, exhaustion settling into her bones and for the first time in a while, she couldn't bear to be at school any longer. "Could I ask a favour?"

"Of course."

"Would you drive me home? I don't think I can be here anymore."

Davina's gaze softened, and she nodded. "I'll get my keys."

She wasn't sure her idea had been a good one when she find herself bidding goodbye to Davina at the room and turning to face an empty home. It was the first time she'd truly been alone, in no position to have Eddie at the other end of the phone and not really wanting to either. She was avoiding him, she knew that, but despite the fear she felt at being alone, she knew she needed both the time and the space to clear her head. After making sure the door was locked three times just to be sure, she checked the back door just incase before walking upstairs and running herself a bath. Knowing the water couldn't be too hot, she kept an eye on the temperature as she picked out a new set of flannel PJs and her favourite moisturiser to put on afterwards. She grabbed her book on the way and placed her phone in the speaker, selecting her playlist and lowering the volume so to have a relaxing noise to break the silence she knew was surrounding the house.

Afterwards, feeling refreshed but equally as drained, and Rachel considered a nap for the first time in what felt like years. Her entire body felt exhausted, the day finally catching up with her as her head hit the pillow. She pulled Eddie's pillow towards her, breathing in his familiar smell as she went over the harsh words she had said to him only that morning. Tears fell onto the fabric as she wondered why she'd ever thought to take it out on him when he'd been nothing but supportive and understanding. She was pushing him away at a time she needed him more than ever, and her last thought before slipping into her dreams was that she just hoped she hadn't taken it too far this time and lost him for good.

Waking from her nap, Rachel knew immediately that she wasn't alone in the house. Her first instinct was to panic, but she saw Eddie's jacket placed at the end of the bed and a quick glance at the clock confirmed that it was about time for him to be home from work. She gave herself a few second to calm down her racing heart before shuffling towards the door, apprehensive about what situation she would be walking into. Eddie clearly hadn't woken her, and she wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. She took tentative steps downstairs, following the noise of the radio to find her husband with his sleeves rolled up and his face close to a pan that looked and smelled like it contained some sort of tomato sauce. The smell turned Rachel's stomach, but she fought with the feeling of nausea and chose to approach him instead- wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and pressing her face between his shoulder blades. "I'm sorry-"

"I'm sorry-"

As Rachel whispered the words against his shirt, Eddie spoke his apology at the exact same time and both felt their laughs break the tension immediately.

"No Rach, let me start.."

Rachel hesitated, having been mentally preparing her speech from the moment she realised Eddie was home. But her husband lifted her head by her chin and one look in his eyes was enough for her to relent.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean anything I said. No.. let me finish." Eddie noticed Rachel ready to protest once more and shushed her with the shake of his head and his calm words. He'd been locked in his own thoughts all day, desperate to get back and run home to check on her. It took everything he had not to race after her when Davina told him that she was at home, but he knew he and knew that she would need space. He hadn't been able to concentrate due to the harsh words he'd spoken to her plaguing his thoughts, and only hoped he'd be given the opportunity to speak his apologies. After everything, he knew Rachel wasn't going to run away. But his heart still stopped when he entered his home and was faced with the quiet, wondered if maybe she had just packed her bags and gone to recover alone. "I do not blame you for anything darling, none of this is your fault. Stuart is to blame, not you, not your past, not our marriage or our baby. Just Stuart bloody Hordley. You did what you needed to do, and I'm so glad you did. Because look what we still have." Eddie let his hands trail down to her stomach and rest over where he knew their baby was growing and waiting to make their entrance. "I love you Rachel, every part of you. The past, the present. And I love the future even more. I fall in love with you all over again, every time I open my eyes and see you first thing. No matter what you need, I'm right here." He promised, sealing his words with a kiss.

Rachel's entire speech went out of the window upon hearing his, tears streaming down her cheeks as she pressed her lips to his more firmly. It was the first time he'd initiated contact that hadn't reminded her on previous events, and she knew that was a win for both of them. "I love you Eddie." She choked on her words, letting out a laugh at just how wrecked her voice sounded. Eddie wiped her tears and she leant into his touch, about to make a rather suggestive comment when the smell from the sauce wafted up her nose once more and send her stomach spinning. "Now that this is sorted, can I just say. I love you Eddie, I do, with all I have. But you need to throw that sauce away, the smell is making me want to throw up."

He laughed, grabbed the saucepan and to her shock, chucked the entire thing out of the open window.

"Eddie!" Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, a few beats passing before she dissolved into giggles, half in genuine amusement and half in sheer relief that he'd forgiven her. He grinned at her. She still looked tired, the haunted expression she'd had for the past few weeks still lingering in the background but this was the first time he'd seen her eyes light up as they used to.

It gave him hope that she was going to be okay.

She was still looking at him, still laughing and he wasn't sure who moved first but suddenly his arms were around her and her head was against his shoulder as her laughter faded into a small smile. "Rach?"

"Mm?"

"You know I didn't mean what I said, right?" he pulled away to look at her, then paused. "Almost said," he amended, and saw her expression flicker. Guilt swam within him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, smoothing his thumb over her cheekbone. "I was hurt, and angry and I lashed out with the thing I knew would hurt you most."

She leant into his touch, closing her eyes for a moment. "I think we've both done our share of lashing out."

Lips landed on her forehead and she stiffened for only a moment. She counted it as progress that she didn't flinch away completely. Eddie noticed, of course he noticed, and was careful not to move for a few seconds, not to spook her and she swallowed thickly, hands resting on his chest. "I'm not okay," she admitted, and he looked puzzled.

"I know that."

"Even more than I've let on, Eddie."

"Oh, Rachel…"

"I know I didn't have it as bad as some people, but the nightmares of what could have been are just as bad as the memories." She spoke quickly, wanting to get it out as her fingers tightened their grip on his shirt.

His gaze burnt into hers. "Don't you dare downplay it. What you went through was traumatic, maybe not the same as other people but just as bad in its own way."

She swallowed again, blinking rapidly. "I don't feel safe, Eddie. Not ever. And I love you, I know you would never hurt me in a million years, but sometimes… sometimes I can't quite get Stuart out of my head. And I hate it, but it's true."

His gaze softened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I want to be normal again. Because I'm tired of this ruling our lives, of being the reason we're always fighting at the moment."

"Rachel… do you really think I'm okay?"

He was tired too- he'd tried being her protector, and it hadn't worked. So it was time for something new, he decided, and for the first time decided to be as open with her as he knew she was trying to be with him. "I thought you were gone," he continued frankly, one hand sliding over hers. "I picked up that phone, and I was in the middle of a bloody changing room with a child and no idea what to do. I had to listen, to hear how frightened you were and know that I couldn't do a damn thing about it. And when it went silent… Rachel, part of me thought you were dead. He'd taken you, and in the back of my mind was the thought that I might never see you again. Never raise our child with you, never grow old with you."

"Eddie…" Tears had sprung into her eyes, and she cupped his cheek with one hand, stunned at how much he'd been hiding.

"I don't want to let you out of my sight," he confessed. "It takes everything in me just to turn my back to you. I wake up in the middle of the night terrified it was a dream, that I'm actually still searching for you or worse, that it ended badly and I've just suppressed it. I don't know how to help you- I can see you hurting and pulling away from me and it scares me, Rach, that one day you're going to pull away completely and I won't be able to pull you back."

She was staring at him, stunned and heartbroken that she hadn't picked up on this sooner. "I'm sorry…"

"No, don't." He shook his head, raised her hand to his lips to press a kiss to her fingers. "You have nothing to be sorry for. But Rach… it kills me that I don't know if I'm scaring you when I touch you."

She couldn't speak past the lump in her throat, instead wound her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder. His arms held her tightly, and she could stop herself from dropping a kiss to his neck. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were dealing with enough. I'm your husband, I'm supposed to look after you."

She pulled back to look at him. "We're supposed to look after each other," she corrected sternly. "We're a partnership."

"What about going to see someone? Together?" Much later on, after a takeaway pizza had been consumed and the credits rolled on an old film that neither had payed much attention to, Eddie decided it was the best foot forward after spending most of the time in his own thoughts of thinking of how to come out of their situation. Rachel was going to need his help, but he knew he needed to help himself at the same time if he wanted to be there for her. He'd struggled with his feelings before, when Steven passed away, and he knew more than anyone that keeping things bottled up did no good.

Rachel contemplated his words, thinking of if it was something that was right for them. She had always thought that asking for help was something that made her weak, but warmed to the idea the more she thought of it.

As if Eddie could see the cogs turning in Rachel's brain, he decided to continue his point whilst she mulled over his words. "If not for you, or for me, then for the baby, and for Michael. They need us Rach, they both do." He knew he didn't need to guilt trip her, and that wasn't his intention in the slightest. But Eddie knew how hard Rachel found it to accept help, struggled even to lean on his at times to lighten her load so would not be entirely comfortable with relying on the opinion of an outsider.

However, Rachel was warming to the idea more as the seconds passed. Someone completely new, that knew nothing of their pasts or their relationship who's sole purpose would be to put back the pieces that Stuart Hordley had tried so hard to take from them. He'd already tainted the first few months of her pregnancy, and Rachel was determined not to let him take even another day from her. She had waited so long to become a mother, been though hell and back in order to keep Eddie by her side in both life and in work. She just wanted to feel normal again, and was willing to try anything they could think of in order to make that happen. "Eddie, let's do it." At her words, they both sat up a little straighter and Rachel turned to face him head on.

"You mean it?" Eddie's eyes were wide, not quite believing what he was hearing. He'd had an entire speech planned during the duration of the film, and figured it would take days, even weeks to convince Rachel that speaking to someone may be what they both needed.

Rachel simply nodded her head, leaning forward and stealing a quick kiss from him before replying. It was the first time she'd truly initiated contact in the time that had passed since Eddie had rescued her, and the simple act felt like a complete step in the right direction. "Yes Eddie, I mean it. I think you're right. For us, for the baby, for Michael. I want to be better, for myself too. I want us to get past this." She admitted, biting her lip as the tears once again filled her eyes. She was sick of feeling like a victim, tired of looking over her shoulder or jumping when the phone rang. She couldn't continue in such a way, desperately needed to return to normal before a baby was added to the mix.

He looked so relieved, so hopeful that she couldn't bring herself to regret the decision even a little bit. "I have another idea," he said slowly.

"Isn't your brain beginning to hurt by now?" she tossed the tease out there before she'd even thought about it, realising only afterwards how blissfully normal it felt.

"Bloody cheek." He flicked her nose teasingly. "It would mean you being painfully honest."

She looked curious, tilting her head. "Okay?"

"A set of… not rules," he chewed his lip. "Guidelines, maybe? On what you need."

Her brow furrowed. "I don't understand."

"What makes you uncomfortable," he amended. "How to touch you, what to not say. Anything that causes you to remember."

"I don't want you to live your life having to remember how not to touch me!" she protested, but he shook his head, catching a hold of her hand in his.

"I need to know." He was almost pleading. "Rach, the thought that something I do is hurting you, it almost kills me. But if you don't tell me, then I don't know. And it's only for now, until those things don't affect you anymore."

The thought of her husband needing rules on how to behave around her made her feel sick, but she couldn't deny that she understood his point of view. If nothing else, it might reduce the amount of times she attempted to pull away from him, she thought, and slowly nodded her agreement. "Okay."

He gave her a relieved smile. "I already know not to kiss your throat or jaw," he started, hoping it would make it easier for her, and she nodded slowly.

"No pinning me," she added softly. "Especially not my wrists."

Which explained her sudden aversion to long sleeve tops and bracelets, he thought, and wondered if she'd even realised that their hands were still entwined, fingers gripping tightly. He could feel her wedding ring against his skin, the metal warmed by her body and from the corner of his eye, could see his own glinting in the lamplight.

This was what was important. The two of them against the world, whether guidelines were required or not. "No pinning," he acknowledged, settling down to make mental notes. Rachel gave him a tentative smile, warmth curling within her at how far he was willing to go. Had always been willing to go.

"I love you."

The sudden declaration had him grinning broadly at her. "I love you too. Now carry on."

She laughed quietly, and did.

Weeks passed without incident, and Rachel felt herself slowly regaining both her confidence and sense of normality. She returned to work without incident, and Eddie was grateful that both staff and students were able to accept her back without asking any questions. Most knew what had happened, either through word of mouth or putting the pieces together themselves. But none had mentioned it as of yet, and for that Eddie was eternally grateful.

Rachel was back on her game, back at the top of the school and continuing on with the plans she had for the place. The only thing that slowed her down was her growing bump, one that could no longer be ignored. She decided to announce her pregnancy to the school, not wanting any more gossip or drama surrounding her name. Everyone was ecstatic, stopping her at regular points throughout the day to ask all things about the baby. Eddie himself was basking in the attention, documenting Rachel's growing bump by taking a photo in the same place each day before she put her clothes on and got ready for the day. Now the next question on everyone's lips was if the baby was to be a girl or boy, and it was one that Rachel and Eddie were desperate to find answers for themselves. Staff had a betting pool going, and even students had guesses amongst themselves that they were keen to share with their teachers.

Their 20 week scan was booked for after their next therapy appointment, something to get them both through the dark place they needed to go to when speaking about their recent experiences. It was a good focal point for Rachel, placing her hand on her stomach and feeling for any slight flutters and kicks as a way to ground herself whenever she spoke about Stuart and what she'd been through. Eddie also took comfort in reaching towards Rachel, just as a reassurance that she was there and they were tackling their issues together. Luckily, the therapist was amazing at her job and used their impending parenthood herself as a way to channel their grief into something positive, so much so that they both left the room with smiles fixed to their faces for the first time since their sessions began. They both practically skipped to their car and the drive was alive with excitement the entire time they were on the way to the hospital.

"So Mr Lawson, have you taken any bets about the gender of our child?" Rachel asked as they waited for her name to be called, their fingers laced together as they watched the world pass them by. They'd had more scans than necessary due to the trauma Rachel had experienced, yet still both felt the nerves as they sat waiting for their baby to show themselves. But Rachel had no worry, felt their little one move and squirm inside of her whenever their father was around.

"I don't care." Eddie answered honestly, watching yet another couple emerge from their appointment with happy smiles and hoping that him and Rachel would be the next ones called. "As long as they're healthy, then I'm happy. What about you, Mrs Lawson? Any preference?"

Rachel gave his question a long thought, considering her options and imaging their future with both possibilities. She saw Michael sharing his toys with his little brother, teaching him all of the important names and characters that came with his new obsession with Marvel. But then she was also able to imagine him sitting with his baby sister, reading her Disney stories and playing along with what ever game she had chosen. She didn't get chance to answer though, as their names were called. This was it, their next step was about to be right in front of them, and she clung to Eddie's hand as they entered the room. She knew the routine by now, quickly bringing her shirt up so her stomach was on show and her eyes firmly fixed on the screen even though the gel had yer to even be poured into her belly.

"Do we want to know the sex today?"

"Yes please." They said in unison, and shot a grin at each other. The woman in front of them laughed.

"I love the ones who are prepared. Okay then."

Eddie reached for her hand, not missing how she tensed when the woman came near her, medical professional or not. Her fingers dug into his hand, breath catching for a second before very deliberately, she began to match her breaths to his, forcing her attention to the screen.

If he were honest, the grey blobs on screen meant little to Eddie. He strained his eyes, trying to figure out what he was looking at, but he was still attempting to work it out when the sounds of a heartbeat filled the room.

Both of them stilled.

Rachel's eyes were fixed on the screen, but Eddie managed to glance at her for a moment- she had a small, awed smile on her face and he couldn't stop from gently squeezing her hand, an action which was quickly returned.

"Congratulations." Eddie held his breath. "There's some margin for error but… say hi to your little girl."

Eddie didn't hear much after that, the thundering in his ears too loud as he stared at the grey blob on the screen. Rachel's grip had tightened around his, a broad smile spread across her lips. "Eddie, we're having a girl!" He didn't reply, and she glanced over to him, amused to see a thunderstruck expression on his face as he gazed at the screen.

The expression remained, long after the appointment was over and they'd walked out of the building, Rachel almost guiding Eddie along by the hand. "Are you okay?" she questioned, still entertained but beginning to grow worried.

"We're having a baby."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, dear."

"No, Rach, you don't understand. We're having a baby."

She stared at him. "I know. We found out months ago- why is this a problem now?"

"A baby! A little, tiny human who will be entirely dependant on us!" he looked at her in panic. "Why did we think this was a good idea?"

"Eddie!" she fought to keep the laughter out of her voice. "You're panicking. Frankly, you've done this before, if anyone has the right to panic it's me."

As they sat in the car, Eddie could feel Rachel's eyes on him as she waited for him to start the engine. Only he couldn't find the strength to, couldn't manage to put his brain into gear and even begin to remember which skills were actually needed to start a car. He felt like he'd missed so much of Michael's newborn stage, the first few weeks with both children a blur having lost his memories of that time when he lost Steven. "Rach, I'm terrified." He knew there was no point in lying to his wife, knew she'd see right through him anyway.

Rachel leant over to cup his cheek in her hand, using her other hand to grasp Eddie's in hers and bring it against her stomach. "Do you think I'm not? My last pregnancy didn't end well, and I'm terrified that will happen again. I find my hands are permanently pressed against my stomach, and I get worried when I don't feel anything for even 30 seconds. It's irrational I know, but I can't help it. So I can only imagine how terrified you must be." Her eyes glazed over with tears as she felt a small flutter of movement beneath their joint hands. "But we have a daughter Eddie, and she's healthy. We have to focus on that, on her."

Eddie immediately felt selfish for focusing on his own feelings, not even stopping to consider how Rachel must be feeling after her last pregnancy. "Rach, I'm so sorry." He pressed his forehead to hers immediately, guilt completely taking over as he finally felt his world right itself again. After hearing the steady heartbeat of their baby, he felt his ears fill with cotton wool and nothing else seemed to be sinking in. Only now with Rachel's words, he truly allowed himself to think of what he was doing and how he acting. Rachel didn't have any of the memories at all, whereas at least Eddie had the ones he could try his hardest to remember. Even though he lost Steven, he still had Michael and he felt immensely awful for how he had reacted to what should be one of the happiest days of their lives. "I've been such an idiot, I can't.. I don't even know how to apologise properly to you."

Rachel shook her head to silence him, not wanting him to beat himself up as that hadn't been her intentions at all. "Eddie, hush. That isn't what I meant. I just mean.. we're both scared. That's normal. And with our pasts, well, that just mean it doubles." She leant over their joined hands to press a soft kiss to his lips, proving that she was far from angry with his natural reaction to finding out the gender of their baby. She'd been around enough pregnant girl friends to know that partners freaking out was perfectly normal, and quite frankly had expected it from Eddie sooner or later. The news of having a girl just brought him into more unfamiliar territory, especially as he'd only dealt with boys in the past. "I'm glad you told me though, and didn't try to hide it. We can talk about this some more, get some advice of how we can both deal with our fears?"

At her words, Eddie felt an great deal of pride each time she spoke. She really had come such a long way in recent weeks, taking everything on board that came from therapy and even applying that to their every day lives. Now, they were so close to back to being their normal selves, and yet it was Eddie himself possibly preventing that. "No matter how scared I feel Rach, I can't wait to meet our daughter. I can't think of anything more brilliant than a mini version of you, because you are.." He struggled to think of the right words to explain just how he was feeling at that moment. He was full of such awe and gratitude, thankful every day for the amazing woman sat in front of him. He was able to watch her change as she grew their child, doing everything she could in her power to keep their little girl safe and healthy before she was ready to make her grand entrance into the world. "You're perfect. And I love you, more than you could ever possibly imagine."

She smiled warmly at him. "You'd better," she teased lightly, and just like that the tension was broken. She leant over to kiss him, lingering for a moment before the mildly uncomfortable position got to her. "So," she said casually as she settled back into her seat. "Did you win the betting pool?"

"Dammit." He should have known better than to try to and deflect anything from her. "No," he admitted. "I bet little one would be a pickle and not let the sonographer see."

She laughed. "A possibility with your genes," she agreed.

"Oi!"

Her hand slid over his, head leant back as he put the key in the ignition and began to drive. A little girl, she thought, and wondered if Eddie would agree to the idea for at least a middle name that she had. She'd heard somewhere that announcing the name before the birth was bad luck, and however much she'd scoffed at the time, there might have been something to it because she found the idea of telling people a name didn't sit well with her. What if they changed their minds? What if she didn't look like the name they'd chosen when she was born? She'd heard a story once of a woman whose supposed friend had taken the name she was planning to use- did she know anyone else who was pregnant?

"Rachel?" Eddie was looking over at her curiously. "You okay? You went silent."

A host of horrible thoughts went through his head, all dissipating the moment she turned and smiled at him. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Anything interesting?"

"Do you realise how much has changed in the past year?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah…"

"No, I mean really. You moved schools, I got a promotion and moved to the same school- we've ended up working together for the first time. We've turned parts of that school upside down. We went through a stage you weren't even sure you wanted children, and now I'm five months pregnant. Everything we went through with… with Stuart, from the blackmail to everything else, and somehow we still managed to keep my past a secret. It's been less than a year. How did we do that?"

"Together."

His simple answer somehow made perfect sense.

At almost 8 months pregnant, Rachel was ready for the summer holidays to roll around more than ever before. She had only one day left to go before the half term and her maternity leave could officially begin. She felt safe in the knowledge that Eddie would be taking her place whilst she stayed at home with their daughter, and wouldn't be out of the loop with any of the events that happened at the school in her absence. But she was looking forward to meeting her baby, excited about the prospect of simply living out her wildest dreams and not having to worry about much else. As she stood and fixed her hair into an updo, anything to keep it from sticking to her neck in the warm July heat, she couldn't shake the feeling of worry that had settled deep in her stomach as soon as she woke for the day. She hadn't voiced her concerns to her husband yet, but he was already two steps ahead of her.

Eddie wasn't sure what was making Rachel worry so much, if it was the thought of being away from the school for so long or the fact that the start of maternity leave meant that the baby could make herself known at any given moment. But he knew something was off with her, and made it his day's mission to right any worries she may be feeling. "Have some water Rach, it'll cool you down." Even though it was not yet 8am, it was already almost 20 degrees and Eddie knew how much she was struggling with the heat. She'd carried on like a trooper, and he had nothing but admiration for his wife as she continued to walk the corridors of her school like she wasn't nearing her due date or battling one of the hottest summers Rochdale had seen for years.

"Thank you darling." She accepted the drink and shocked them both by dipping her hand straight into the glass and taking hold of the ice instead of drinking the water, crunching down on it and and groaning at the texture. When she'd finished, she looked at Eddie who showed her nothing but amusement. "I've no idea why I did that."

Eddie only rolled his eyes, having accepted her cravings at such a late stage. They seemed to hit her much later on, but he was never one to deny her anything she wished anyway. "I watched you cover a pizza with gravy last week Rach, I'm used to it." He teased lightly, pressing a quick kiss to her head before he went to get himself dressed too. Only he felt a hand tug on his, and turned back to face his wife.

"Eddie, I've got a feeling. Do you think everything will be okay too?"

The panic in her eyes had Eddie worried immediately, and he cupped her head in his hands so she had no choice but to focus purely on him. "This is the last day, okay? We are going to be fine. After everything this year, we've got to get through today, and one more awful evening of Steph slaughtering a Whitney song on karaoke, and then we're free. You're free to rest before our baby arrives."

"I usually hate that word, but right now I can't wait."

He fought valiantly to keep his lips from twitching in amusement, pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Everything is going to be fine."

By the time he'd managed to get dressed and ready for the day, Rachel had vanished. Somewhat curious and wary of the time, he searched through the house, eventually spotting the front door wasn't latched and poking his head out to find his wife leant against the boot of the car, head tilted upright as she basked in the early-morning sun.

"I have your bag," she called, hearing him behind her.

"You ready?"

"More than."

The few kids they passed on their way to school all had smiles on their faces, excited- for once- to start their day. And while Rachel usually shied away from displays of affection at school, especially in front of the kids, she found herself reaching out and interlacing her fingers with Eddie's as they walked in, not noticing the mildly surprised look he gave her.

They parted when he went to fetch an errant football for Janeece and Maxine, and Rachel used the opportunity to veer off, going to check on preparations for everything on her way her office while Eddie headed up to his classroom- he was fully aware that getting any student to concentrate was going to be a challenge, but for those taking exams, he had every intention of trying.

He was interrupted when Rachel appeared, sheet white with wide eyes, not even bothering with a greeting. "I may have forgotten something rather important."

"What's wrong?"

"Mel."

"Mel?"

She frowned at him. "Melissa."

Eddie was confused. "Melissa who? Chambers? I thought she was on maternity leave?"

"My Melissa, Eddie!"

"Your sister?" He'd only met the woman a handful of times, and since she'd attempted to flirt with him the first, he couldn't say he was overly fond of her. They hadn't seen her for over a year, though he knew she and Rachel had spoken on the phone. "What about her?"

"I didn't tell her we were trying because she'd just stick her nose in and give me awful and unwanted advice and then just gloat about how easy it was for her to get pregnant with Phillip and then when we spoke again it was still so new, we hadn't told anyone so I kept quiet until the three months and then the next time she was having some crisis so it wasn't really the time and I haven't spoken to her in person since and I didn't even realise until just now and-,"

"Rachel!" He looked amused, reaching out to take her shoulders as she fell silent. "Are you telling me your sister doesn't know you're 35 weeks pregnant?"

"Maybe?"

He chuckled. "Well, just call and tell her."

"That'll go well. Mel, I'm pregnant! Congratulations, when are you due? Oh, NEXT MONTH!"

He caught hold of her hand, raised it to his lips. "Then just act like she should already know. Maybe she'll be too embarrassed to bring it up."

She stared at him. "This is Melissa," she said flatly.

"Good point."

Above them, the bell rang and voices outside the door told them his form group would be in soon. "I'll figure it out," she sighed, and he pecked her on the cheek before she could move away.

"Look on the bright side," he called after her as she got to the door. "At least you know what your bad feeling was!"

Rachel was still pondering over how exactly she could inform her sister that she was weeks away from giving birth as they sat in the pub, Eddie nursing his own orange juice out of solidarity. He longed for a cold beer in the warm weather, but took pity on his wife as she looked longingly at a glass of wine and decided to suffer alongside her.

"Stop stressing, Melissa will be fine." Eddie whispered so only he could hear, his arm rested on the back of her chair to give her the space she needed in the weather. Normally, the couple would love being in a beer garden and celebrating the end of the school years, Rachel's first at that, but now Rachel just wanted to bathe in ice and not emerge until winter.

She offered a small smile as a reply, turning towards Steph and sparking up a conversation about her plans for the summer, hoping that if she could get all of these conversations out of the way quickly then she would be able to make her excuses and leave. Part way through listening to Steph however, she felt a brainwave and just needed to tell Eddie. She waited patiently for Steph to finish speaking about her plans to travel to London before leaning over and grabbing Eddie's attention. "I've got it."

"Got what?"

"I know how to deal with Melissa." She rolled her eyes at his reply, wondering how he'd managed to forget in the short time it had been since they stopped speaking. "I'll just pretend I told her months ago, made her feel bad for forgetting and missing all the milestones." She was proud of herself for her own idea, pleased that she'd be off the hook for forgetting to share such vital information.

Eddie himself was shocked at her words, narrowing his eyes and looking at his wife with amusement. "Rach, I suggested that earlier." He tread carefully with his words, aware of her ability to fly off the handle thanks to her hormones wreaking havoc inside her body. He didn't blame her, but he never knew if she wanted to kill or kiss him.

"No you didn't!" Rachel replied defensively, her loud voice altering many members of staff around them, most which rolled their eyes having become used to the dynamic between the two. However, now she thought back to their previous conversation and realised that Eddie was in fact right. Her eyes swam with tears at her outburst now she realised what she'd said, and her lip wobbled as she looked over at him. "Oh god, you're right.. I'm sorry."

Eddie held back a laugh at her distraught face, knowing that she couldn't possibly be so upset over such a simple mistake. "No need to be sorry darling, we will think of something to tell your sister." He sealed his words with a kiss and turned back to his conversation with the Humanities department when he saw the tears blink their way into the back of her eyes having remained unshed.

Rachel wondered when the right time was to mention the pains she'd been having had sudden gotten a lot stronger, but noticed just how relaxed and happy Eddie looked to be starting his summer holiday. She continued to take deep breaths in an attempt to manage the pain, not wanting to cause herself any more worry as she knew Braxton Hicks were entirely normal. It was only as she felt the water gush from her stomach that she realised she needed to say something, and quick. "Eddie, I think we're going to have to tell my sister I gave birth to her niece in a pub."

"What?"

"We're going to have more to tell Melissa at this rate."

"What?" Eddie repeated again, his eyes blinking comically as his eyes travelled from her face to the water that was now pooling onto the floor.

Tom stood at once, knocking drinks over in his haste as he pulled Eddie up by the collar of his shirt. "She's in labour you idiot. Do something!"

He stood there, stunned. "What am I supposed to do?"

Every woman at the table- and several of the men- winced.

Rachel snorted in laughter. "Call Alison and tell her we can't have Michael tomorrow. I'll call the hospital and tell them…" her smile faded, face turning white.

"Rachel?" he touched her arm, concerned.

"I'm not full-term," she whispered, and her gaze was terrified as her eyes met his. "Eddie, I'm only thirty-five weeks."

"Don't panic on me," he warned hastily. "It's not ideal, but it's fine. She'll be fine."

"Are you actually in labour?" Jasmine asked curiously. "Or is it just your waters?"

Which were becoming very uncomfortable to sit in, Rachel thought as Eddie shook his head. "It's not full-blown labour until she starts having contractions, until then it's just…" he trailed off when he saw his wife wince, and not in a pained way. "Rachel!"

"Sorry!" she looked sheepish. "I thought they were Braxton Hicks!"

He groaned, and a few people laughed, relaxing when they saw neither were outwardly panicking. "I have my car," Davina fought to keep the smile off her face. "I'll take you to the hospital?"

Rachel readily agreed and accepted the offer, needing Eddie to focus on her and not on the roads as they made their final journey without their daughter in tow. Thankfully, ever since the whole thing with Mika along with some of the other goings on at Waterloo Road, she'd taken to keeping a change of clothes in the car- Eddie ran out to get them for her, and then they were on their way.

"I don't have any of my stuff," Rachel murmured to him, then immediately sucked in a pained breath.

"I don't mean to panic you," he said, once the grip she had on his hand had subsided, "but that was less than 90 seconds after the last one."

She glared at him, speaking through gritted teeth. "Yes, thank you Tim."

Davina shot him a confused look in the rear-view mirror. "Tim?"

"The talking-clock," he supplied.

"Oh."

"I'll go and fetch your bag once we know what's going on," he promised Rachel.

"What am I going to do about Melissa?"

He pressed a kiss to her head. "You're going to tell her she's an aunt, and you need her to come and meet her niece. And she's going to be so thrilled with that, she's not even going to be mad you haven't told her sooner."

"You're so sure of yourself."

"You're sisters. You're not that different."

Rachel glared at him, but her face contorted in pain before she could answer.

Eddie turned out to not be wrong, as by the time Melissa turned up armed with a large teddy and even larger bouquet of flowers, she'd completely forgotten all about being kept out of the loop for so long. She didn't care, her only thoughts being on the bundle of joy that was nestled in the sister's arms.

"Melissa, meet your niece." Rachel was reluctant to let her daughter go, too focussed on staring at her and taking in all of her perfect features. But Eddie had been strict in not letting in any visitors until they'd properly settled and had the chance to really introduce themselves to their daughter, so she felt ready to finally let someone else have a cuddle. Michael had been first, with Simon and Kate bringing him whilst Alison was at work. Watching his son meet his new baby had set Eddie off all over again, even though the tears had just dried up from his initial meeting with his daughter. Each time he looked over at the look on Rachel's face, his eyes swam with tears at just how happy she was.

Rachel herself had first felt overwhelmed at the first meeting with her daughter, incredibly grateful to hear her cries after the initial moment of silence when she'd been brought into the world. The timing scared Rachel to her very core until her daughter was placed on her chest, worried the entire time about it being too early. Only the baby merely disagreed with being evicted from her warm home, and made her thoughts known to the cold world as soon as she'd gathered her thoughts so it seemed. She felt the same as Michael met his sister, tears rolling down her cheeks as the little boy pressed a soft kiss to his new sister's head.

"What's her name?"

Melissa's question snapped Rachel from her daydream, and her attention was pulled back to her daughter as she leant forward to softly touch the light hair that was covering her head. "Melissa, this is Iris."

"After mum?"

"After mum." Rachel confirmed, grateful that Eddie had agreed to her name suggestion when they discussed it. He was happy with whatever felt right to her, and Rachel knew that it was the name she was destined to give her child. "Iris Joy Lawson."

Six months after Iris's unexpected entrance into the world, Eddie was practically bouncing as he came into kitchen, easily finding Rachel sat at the kitchen table. "You're home early."

She smiled at him, tilting her head up to accept the kiss he offered. "How was the pub?"

"It was fine. How was Melissa's?"

"It was fine."

He looked at her curiously, and she gestured for him to take the seat beside him. "Last time this happened, you told me you were taking the headship. Should I be worried?" he joked.

"Of course not. It's just… you remember last week, we were talking about expanding the extended services after summer?"

He tilted his head. "Of course."

Rachel had, to no surprise, quickly grown frustrated with hearing second-hand accounts of what was happening at school. She'd returned to work after Christmas, and Iris loved the time she spent in the creche. She loved it even more when one or both of her parents would come and steal her away at lunchtime, and if they occasionally forgot to return her… well, who was going to tell on them?

"Well," Rachel continued slowly, "how would you feel about implementing that with someone else? Maybe Jasmine?"

He paused. "Extended services is your baby. Why would you hand it over to someone else?"

"Not forever," she assured him lightly. "Only until the end of maternity leave. Then I'll be back."

"Well, I'd be impressed if you manage to- wait, what?"

His gaze snapped up to meet hers, mouth dropping open as she grinned at him. "Maternity leave?" he repeated. "You're…?"

"Apparently, we weren't quite as careful as we thought." She leant back, hand over her stomach as mischief danced in her eyes. "Two barely a year a part. How about it, Lawson, think you can manage?"

A slow smile spread over his face, and he pulled her from her chair and into his arms. "I think we can," he said instead and she beamed, stretching up to allow him to kiss her.


End file.
